Neled
by LEMONSKY4
Summary: Neled - neh-lehd, meaning three. Three siblings, son and daughters of Sirius Black, find themselves in Middle Earth. Faramir/OC;Eomer/OC;OC/OC;Charlie/OC
1. Chapter 1: London & Middle Earth

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but the OCs. Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, will never be mine.  
><strong>Alright, so here's some info to explain how these characters came to be. A little background info, so to speak.

_Cora, Arlena, and James are the children of Sirius Black and Elaine Thompson (from this feeling won't go). Cora is three years older than Harry and a year younger than Oliver Wood. Elaine found out she was pregnant near the end of October 1981, but she never got the chance to tell Sirius due to events we all know. So, eight months later, in June of 1982, Arlena and James were born. They were in their 5th year during DH, etc._

_Cora is 23, while James and Arlena are 18._

_Please enjoy this!_

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><p>"Fine, if that's the way you want it to be, then fine!" Cora flinched as her boyfriend of four years, Oliver Wood, slammed the door to their flat shut. It had been the fourth time he had stormed out of their flat in the past three weeks.<p>

It seemed like all they did lately was argue. She sighed as she finished cleaning up dinner. Oliver, no doubt, had gone off to the pub to drink his problems away. He had started doing so a year and a half ago when an injury to his shoulder forced him to retire early. He was the best player in the league and now he worked at the Quidditch store in Hogsmeade. She understood why he was so bitter.

As she leaned against the kitchen counter, she realized she was still in love with the boy, not the man, that Oliver had become. The boy that would take her on moonlit broom rides and would snuggle up with her while they both read their books of choice. He didn't have time for those things anymore, it seemed.

She had realized this long ago, but didn't want to admit it. She let the tears fall, allowing reality to sink in. She knew she couldn't stay her for much longer. Cora quickly grabbed some of her belongings and placed them in a bag and slid the promise ring Oliver had given her two years ago off and placed it on the kitchen counter.

Grabbing a piece of parchment, she quickly wrote a note to Oliver explaining she couldn't do this anymore. Knowing that James would have just finished working for the day, she flooed over to her younger brother and sister's flat.

xx

Arlena Black felt like she didn't fit in. She wondered if her twin brother, James, felt the same way. Both of them had been out of school for a year, and the Final Battle had been three years prior. Being at Hogwarts during the war had changed them, losing their childhood innocence in a place they considered to be their second home. Being the children of Elaine and Sirius Black, their lives weren't the same as other wizards and witches.

After a long day at St. Mungo's, Arlena returned home to the flat she shared with her twin.

"Hey Lena," James said as he watched her take off her Healer's robes. He was lounging on the couch, his Weasley Wizard Wheezes robes still on.

Cora emerged out of the kitchen with a mug in hand and smiled at her younger sister.

"Long day?" Arlena asked.

He just sighed and nodded.

"Oliver and I fought for what I believe will be the last time today," Cora said as she curled up in an arm chair.

"I never liked him much anyways," Arlena said as she made her way over to the kitchen.

"Mum spent the day cooking with Molly. She sent some food over," James said.

"Why does Mum send you food and not me?" Cora asked.

"Clearly you're not her favorites," James said cheekily.

Arlena sighed and started making herself dinner.

xx

"I know this must sound crazy, but have you ever felt like you don't belong here?" Arlena asked quietly later that night.

They had the radio on and were all relaxing in front of the fire. James sat up from the couch and stared at her. he was five minutes older than her and yet he took his role as older brother very serious.

"I know exactly what you mean," Cora said quietly. She still was staring at the flames dance in the hearth.

"Like what we're currently doing with our lives isn't enough, that there's something more we could doing-"

"-But you don't what that something more is," Arlena cut James off.

"Yeah," Cora said.

James got up from the couch.

"Nothing we can do though, we just have to make the most of the life that's been given to us," he said.

"I know, James, but sometimes I feel like I could be doing so much more," Arlena trailed off, shaking her head.

"Both of you should get some sleep, it's been long days for both of you," James said.

"You're right, good night," Cora said as she made her way towards the guest bedroom.

"Good night," James and Arlena said together.

Cora, James and Arlena went to bed wishing they were apart of something greater than themselves. What they didn't know was that their lives were going to be changed forever.

x-x-x

As James woke up the next morning, he knew for a fact he wasn't in his bed. He was on the ground and if he didn't know any better, he was partially laying on a rock. Opening his eyes, he swore.

"Bloody hell," he groaned as he saw three arrows pointed at his chest. He tried to get his wits about him as fast as he possibly could. Where was his wand?

There were three men, well he wasn't sure if they were men, for they had pointy ears and looked altogether more graceful and beautiful to be human. The one in the middle, with long dark brown hair, was speaking to him in a language he didn't understand.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand you," he said wondering if he could slowly sit up.

The one in the middle stopped speaking and the one to his left started to speak.

"What is your name, stranger? Why are you here?" he asked.

"My name is James and I don't know where I am or how I got here. I'm a wizard. Could you please get these arrows away from my chest?" he said, panic climbing in his voice.

They moved the arrows away from him and he sat up.

"Be at ease, James. You are in Rivendell. You say you are a wizard? You look different from all the other wizards we know of. We shall take you to Lord Elrond, for he may have the answers that you seek," he said.

James nodded as he stood up, wondering what he meant by saying he looked different from other wizards. He looked down and noticed he wasn't wearing the clothes he went to sleep in. He was wearing a simple grey tunic with black leggings and black sturdy boots.

"I don't mean to be rude, but what are you? I know you are not human," James said rather awkwardly.

"We are Elves. Come, let us take you to Lord Elrond," the elf said.

xx

Cora opened her eyers and found herself staring at a stark white tree that appeared to be dead. For some unknown reason, seeing that this tree was dead made her sad. But why? She was so confused.

She had gone to bed in her siblings' guest bedroom. Now she was outside in a place she didn't recognize. She shift her legs and looked down. She was wearing a navy blue gown with silver trimming that she had to admit was gorgeous, but where did she get it from? What was going on?

"Lord Faramir, over there! One minute there was nothing and then suddenly she appeared out of thin air!" a masculine voice exclaimed. A surge of panic started to overwhelm her. Is that how she got here? Appearing out of thin air?

"Go fetch Gandalf. He should be in the library," another voice said.

"Yes, my Lord," the other voice said and she heard someone run away. They were probably going to get Gandalf, whoever that was.

Cora slowly sat up and turned in the direction of the voices. There were men in armor surrounding one man. He had light brown hair and striking blue eyes. He turned in her direction and made his way towards her. She was frozen to the spot.

"Madam, are you well?" he asked, kneeling down next to her.

"W-who are you? Where am I? Please don't hurt me," Cora pleaded.

She was scared, that he knew. He also sensed no evil around her. She looked so innocent. He gazed into her stormy grey eyes and his breath hitched. He was fascinated by her.

"Do not worry, I shall let no harm come to you. I am Lord Faramir. My father is Denethor, the Steward of Gondor. You are in Gondor's capital city, Minas Tirith. Please, call me Faramir," he explained quietly to her.

Faramir didn't understand why he was being so informal with her. He had encountered many women before but none had sparked an interest like this young woman had- and he didn't even know her name yet!

Taking a deep breath, she knew she could trust him.

"My name is Cora. I do not mean to alarm you, but I'm a witch, and I have no idea how I got here," she said.

"Can you stand, my Lady?" Faramir asked, reaching his hand out to her.

"I think so," she said as she placed her hand in his.

Her legs were wobbly and couldn't hold her weight. Her legs buckled underneath her, but luckily Faramir was there and she fell into his arms. She blushed, being in such close contact with him.

"Lady Cora, you are weak. I'll have to carry you to your rooms," Faramir said. There wasn't any room to protest.

Before she knew it, he swept her up into his arms and made his way inside. She blushed an even deeper shade of red, embarrassed she was in such a weak state.

"As to the matter of you being a witch. It does not alarm me, for I sense no evil whilst being in your presence. But you are in luck, my Lady," he explained.

"Oh, how so?" she asked, finally relaxing in his arms. He would not harm her for being a witch.

"Gandalf the Grey is here, and he may be of assistance to you," Faramir said.

xx

Arlena woke up to the sound of galloping. Opening her eyes, she appeared to be in a sea of golden grass. She subconsciously thought it was beautiful, but quickly pushed that thought aside, realizing that she had bigger problems to deal with.

The hoofbeats became louder and Arlena scrambled to stand up so she wouldn't get trampled. It was then she noticed that she wasn't wearing the clothes she went to bed in. It was a forest green dress with golden trimming around the edges. She spotted several men on horses approaching her and she frantically searched her dress for her wand.

Sighing in relief, she found it in a concealed pocket amongst the folds of her dress. She didn't take it out, not knowing if these men were a threat to her. Taking note of her style of dress and the fact these men traveled by horses, she must be in some medieval-like place. Men of those times wouldn't kill a woman, they would help her.

That is, if these were honorable men.

They quickly surrounded her and she was utterly terrified.

"Please, please don't hurt me. I'm lost and I don't know where I am," she pleaded. She hated being this weak, but due to the circumstances it was the only way she could survive.

"What is your name?" one of the men demanded. She looked at him directly, and gathered he must have been the leader, for his armor was much more ornately decorated than all of the others, save for one other.

"Arlena. My name is Arlena Black," she said. "And who are you? Where am I?" she asked, with a determined look her in eyes.

"I am Théodred, son of King Théoden," he said. He had long dirty blonde hair with brown eyes.

"And I am Éomer, son of Éomund," the man next to Théodred said. He had dark blonde hair with blue-green eyes and although she wouldn't admit it out loud, she found him much more attractive than the son of the king.

"You are in Rohan, but more specifically in Edoras," he explained further.

Arlena's eyes widened. She had never heard of these places before. She started to feel dizzy.

"Oh my," she said quietly. "I fear I am quite far away from home."

Then everything turned to black.

Éomer quickly got off his horse and went to help this strange girl.

"She merely fainted, but it would not be right to leave her. You saw how lost she looked, cousin," he said to Théodred.

"You're right. She shall return with us to the Golden Hall. Éowyn shall look after her," the heir to the throne said.

Once they got Arlena settled in front of Éomer in the saddle, the Rohirrim quickly made their way back home.

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><p><strong>A.N: Please give me some feedback for this, since this is my first ever attempt at writing a crossover. Any questions, comments, or concerns, please leave a review or send me a message!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2: Minas Tirith

**So, I cranked out this chapter out today as well. **

**This chapter focuses on Cora. The next shall either focus on Arlena or James. I haven't decided yet.**

**Enjoy!**

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><p><em>Minas Tirith<em>

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><p>Cora found herself in the guest quarters of the Citadel. After feeling utterly ridiculous, she insisted that Faramir put her down and was now perfectly capable of walking on her own. He complied, but still offered his arm, and she graciously accepted it. She was charmed with the chivalry she found in Faramir, but she also reminded herself that not all were as kind as he.<p>

Faramir had told her that there were seven levels to the city and each had its own gate protecting it. He then explained how Minas Tirith had originally been built to protect the city Osgiliath, but then it became the capital after the city fell into ruin after a plague had ravaged the city.

After he had led her to her rooms, she decided to explore it. She had found some books and to her relief her fear that they would be in some foreign language was proven false. Although she had some slight problems with reading the flowy script of the scribe that had written it.

She walked out onto the balcony and the view she saw was horrifying yet strangely beautiful. The landscape around Minas Tirith was beautiful, but in the distance the clouds grew dark, almost black in color and she heard distant rumblings from that direction. There was even a volcano and it appeared to be active, with smoke rising out of it. The one thing she didn't understand was that it had a sense of evil permeating from it. What was that place?

A knock on her door interrupted her thoughts.

"Enter," she said and watched Faramir walk in with whom she presumed to be Gandalf the Grey.

"Lord Faramir told me you may be of assistance to me, Gandalf the Grey. Does he speak the truth?" she asked, taking note of his walking staff. However, she felt power emanate from it.

"I may be able to answer some questions of yours, Cora Black," Gandalf stated simply.

She wondered how he knew her last name, as she had only told Faramir her first name.

"I will leave you two to talk privately," Faramir said.

"You can stay if you wish, Lord Faramir," Cora said. "It would probably be a good idea for you to be fully informed of my situation," she continued.

"Of course, my lady," he said.

"Lord Faramir said you're a witch," Gandalf said as he and Faramir sat down.

"Yes, I am, but I have a feeling you already knew this," she said as she went over to the desk and picked up her wand. Turning back to face them again, she stared at Gandalf's staff.

"That's no ordinary walking stick, is it? I feel the power radiating from it," she said.

Gandalf nodded in confirmation.

The fire in the hearth was dying down and without a thought, Cora muttered a spell that regenerated the fire. Gandalf didn't even blink at the use of magic, but Faramir was stunned by it.

"Why am I here, Gandalf?" she asked.

"I do not know why you and your siblings are here, Cora, but I do know you will be useful in the times ahead," he said.

"James? Arlena? They're here? Where?" she asked quickly.

"James is among the Elves in Rivendell and Arlena is in Rohan amongst the Horse Lords of King Théoden. They, too, will prove useful," he explained.

"Whatever for?" she asked confused.

He annoyingly reminded her of Dumbledore with his vagueness.

"Dark times are fast approaching, Cora. I know you are all too familiar with times such as these, as well as your siblings. Your experience and abilities will be helpful," Gandalf said, being still vague.

Cora stood there with her mouth open, "How do you know of my past?"

"I know many things I should not, as you will surely learn. Faramir, have you informed your father of Cora's presence?"

Faramir nodded, "As well as Boromir."

Cora noticed Gandalf's nose slightly scrunch up in distaste when he mentioned the name Boromir. She wondered why, but decided not to ask.

"Make sure you stay on Denethor's good side, Cora. Women's opinions are not as highly thought of as in your time. It would not bode well to have you kicked out of the Citadel," Gandalf said as he stood up.

"I must take leave, but know that our paths will cross again. Until we meet again," he said as he bowed his head in respect. He said his good-byes to Faramir.

"Remember what I said, Faramir," Gandalf said before he promptly left.

Confused, Cora stood up from her chair and walked about the room, unable to withstand the intense gaze Faramir was giving her.

"You wish to know of my past, don't you?" she asked bluntly. She realized she would have to tell someone about it sooner or later.

"I know it is not my place to ask, but I will admit that I am curious," he said sheepishly.

She sighed, "Where I come from, there was a war three years ago. A wizarding war to be exact," she started.

"There was one wizard, a very powerful one, that sought to take over the entire wizarding world and ride it of Muggle-born witches and wizards. Muggle-borns are witches or wizards that are born to non-magical families," she explained.

She began to walk out onto the balcony, inexplicably drawn to the landscape before her. She heard Faramir following her.

"It was a very bloody and destructive war. We did not use weapons like swords or bows, our wands were our weapons," holding her wand out to Faramir so he could examine it.

He stared at it reluctantly.

"Do not worry, Faramir. It will be useless in your hands," she quickly explained.

He took it and examined it. How could an entire war be conducted with only intricately designed pieces of wood?

"Words can be far more dangerous than swords, Faramir," she said.

"How so?" he questioned.

"I can make someone be completely under my control with one word, bidding them to do what I please. I can torture someone to insanity by uttering a word. I can end life with just two words," she said deathly quiet.

"Just by using this?" Faramir asked in awe.

She nodded, "Those spells are called the Unforgivable Curses because that is what they are - unforgivable."

"The Imperious Curse, The Cruciatus Curse, and The Killing Curse. For all of them, you really need to mean it," she said. Faramir could tell she was thinking about something that had happened in her past.

"What do you mean?"

"For the Cruciatus Curse, or any of the others for that matter, to be effective, the castor of the spell must really want to cause pain to their victim," she said.

"Have you used any of them?"

"They're dark magic, Faramir," she stated. The way she avoided his question, however, made him believe she had.

"That may be so, but you never answered my question," he returned.

She remained silent for awhile.

"They were torturing my cousin," she whispered. "She had been a double agent for the Order, to infiltrate the enemies' inner circle. She was successful, until the Final Battle when she openly fought for the Light instead of the Dark."

"A couple of the enemy surrounded her, and instead of killing her, they tortured her. They were using spells on her that I couldn't even fathom possible at the time. I was so angry and scared at the time, I don't know how I did it."

"Did what?" he asked quietly.

"I managed to stun the two Death Eaters that were watching the torture, and before I realized what I was doing, I had screamed Crucio, and he was on the ground writhing in pain," she whispered, her eyes welling up with tears.

"Many lives were lost during the war, a majority of them were friends of mine," she turned to look at him, pretending the tears that were threatening to fall were not there.

A gentle breeze swept a strand of her long black hair into her eyes and she made to move it away. Faramir beat her to it, tucking the strand behind her ear.

Faramir blinked and quickly moved his hand away.

"Please forgive me, my lady. I do not know what overcame me," he said quickly, hoping she would not be upset.

She looked at him and smiled a little, "There is nothing to forgive, Faramir. Your touch has brought comfort to me when I needed reminding that there still is good in humanity."

She didn't understand the feelings she was currently experiencing or why he had just touched her, but he was her only friend in this world and she did not want it to be an awkward friendship.

He nodded his head in acknowledgement.

"My father, the Steward, and my brother Boromir, are very much interested in meeting you. You have been invited to dine with us," he said, quickly moving onto a new subject.

"Of course, but there is just one problem with that," Cora said.

"Oh?"

"I don't know where dinner shall be taking place, therefore I will get thoroughly lost," she said smiling.

He returned the smile, "Either my brother or I shall escort you down to dinner. In the mean time, I'll arrange for a seamstress to visit you to take your measurements so more clothes can be made for you."

"Thank you, Faramir," she said.

"It is no trouble at all, my lady," he said, bowing to her before leaving.

She waited a couple seconds after he closed the door shut before she collapsed onto her bed.

"What in Merlin's name just happened?" she said aloud, bewildered by her encounter with Faramir.

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><p><strong>A.N: I'm serious when I say feedback is appreciated! Review, review, review!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3: Edoras

**Thanks to all those who have added this story to their alerts! :)**

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><p><em>Edoras<em>

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><p>Arlena came to just as the Rohirrim were dismounting in the stables. Blinking furiously, she tried to regain her focus and once her vision cleared, she found herself staring at Théodred.<p>

"Ah, it is good to see you're awake," he said as he guided his horse to its proper stall.

"I've never fainted before in my entire life," she said, her voice trailing off. She jumped slightly in the saddle when she felt someone squeeze her left side and turned just in time to watch Éomer dismount. So that's who she had been riding with.

"Let me help you down," he said, waiting for her consent.

She stared at him, weighing her options. She could be defiant and get down on her own, which would show him that she's not a helpless female. However, considering she had just fainted she was much more weaker than she would usually be. The bigger issue, however, was that she had never dismounted a horse whilst wearing a dress.

"Thank you," she said, giving her consent.

He approached her and Arlena placed her hands on his shoulders as he placed his on her waist. Effortlessly, he picked her up and set her on the ground. She did not fail to notice his face scrunch up in pain.

"You're hurt," she stated plainly, taking note of the bloodied bandage wrapped around his upper left arm.

"It is nothing serious, it only pains me when I move my arm a certain way," he said, brushing her concern off.

Théodred made his way over towards the pair. They had just emerged out of the stables and were about to walk towards the hall, but Arlena stopped them.

"Please let me look at it. Where I come from I'm training to become a Healer, but I've had loads of experience treating wounds just like yours," she said, trying to persuade him into letting her help him.

"And how would you have so much experience treating such wounds if you're only a trainee?" Théodred asked, curious.

"It's really a long story, one I shall tell you sometime, but I shall give a brief explanation. War sometimes results in battle wounds," she said, rather vaguely.

Éomer looked from his cousin to Arlena, and with a nod gave her consent to examine his wound. Arlena carefully removed the bloodied bandage and examined the cut. It wasn't all that deep and appeared to have stopped bleeding long ago.

"It doesn't appear to be infected and seems to have stopped bleeding awhile ago. You could have changed the bandage though. You're lucky it didn't get infected. When did you get it?" she asked, going into her Healer mode.

"Three days ago, we were attacked by a small group of Wargs," he explained.

"I have absolutely no idea what Wargs are, but they sound unpleasant," Arlena said conversationally.

"They are indeed," Théodred muttered.

"Well, the cut isn't that deep and if you'd like, I can fully heal it. When I'm done, you wouldn't even know it had been there," she said.

The two men stared at her strangely.

"How is that possible? It would take a week or more for it to heal. It would be a miracle for something to heal so quickly," Éomer questioned.

"It would be magic, not a miracle," she stated, biting her lip. She wasn't sure how they would react and this made her extremely nervous.

"Magic?" Théodred exclaimed incredulously. Éomer remained silent and she didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

She nodded, "I fainted before I got the chance to tell you that I'm a witch."

"A witch?" Théodred uttered, his eyes narrowing.

"Where do you get your power from? Wizards here have magical staffs that they use. Yet I see nothing of that nature in your possession," Éomer said.

"Oh, my wand is hidden away in a pocket in my dress," she said carefully taking her wand out. She didn't want to alarm them into action and attack her.

"I swear to you I have no intention of harming anyone here. Like I said before, I'm training to be a Healer. I like to heal people, not destroy them," she said honestly.

She stared into Éomer's eyes, hoping he would see she was telling the truth. She didn't dare think about what they would do to her if they didn't believe her.

"I believe she speaks the truth, cousin," Éomer said.

"And I trust your judgement, Éomer," Théodred said. "Do not worry anymore, Arlena. We were never going to harm you."

She remained silent, wondering if that was really true.

"May I heal your arm, then?" she asked quietly.

"You may," Éomer said.

Hovering her wand over the cut, she quietly murmured a spell and the two men watched in awe as the wound closed up and then all together disappeared. Éomer, in disbelief, touched the spot where it once was and smiled.

"I feel no more pain. Thank you, Arlena," he said.

"Maybe you can help us. We believe that my father's mind is being poisoned by Saruman, a wizard whom we had led to believe was good," Théodred began to explain quietly.

"I know my father, and he is not himself. He has grown cruel and distant from me. He is also making outrageous decisions, like appointing Grima as one of his closest advisors," he continued, making it perfectly evident what he thought of Grima, whomever he was.

"Once you've seen Grima, you will understand. My uncle and him will spend hours together discussing who knows what, and I don't like it at all," Éomer said.

Arlena smiled sadly, "That's extremely dark magic. I'm sad to say, I will not be able to help him. Though I know how to defend myself physically from the dark arts, I'm completely lost when it comes to attacks on the mind. That is beyond my skill."

The two men looked at each other sadly. Arlena could tell they cared deeply for their King.

"In that case, I believe it would be wise if we keep your abilities a secret, with the exception of telling Éowyn, my sister. She will be glad to meet you, for there are few women to keep her company," Éomer said.

"Of course," Arlena agreed. She placed her wand back into her pocket, making a silent promise to herself not to use it unless it was an absolute emergency.

"Come, we shall introduce you to the King and get you settled," Théodred said and Arlena found no room to argue.

xxx

Arlena found Éowyn to be absolutely charming, albeit a little rough around the edges. She pegged it down to the fact that she is constantly surrounded by men and hasn't had a constant female companion around her. All Éowyn really needed is a friend, and Arlena is happy to fill in that role.

Arlena sat down on the bed and Éowyn joined her.

"Thank you so much for helping me get settled in. I would have been utterly lost if it weren't for you. Things are quite different here than from where I'm from," Arlena said.

"It is no trouble at all. But please continue telling me about your world. It sounds so wonderful," Éowyn said, her eyes lighting up in wonder.

"Well, I've already told you about Hogwarts, so I guess I'll tell you about my family," Arlena said.

A knock prevented Arlena from starting her story.

"Enter," she said, wondering who it could be.

Éomer walked in, inwardly glad to see Arlena and his sister getting along so well together.

"I came to check up on you to see how you're settling in before I retired for the night," he explained, closing the door.

"With the help of your sister, I have comfortably settled in. I was just going to tell Éowyn about my family, you're welcome to stay and listen if you'd like," Arlena said, knowing he was just as curious about her origins as Éowyn was.

"I think I shall," he said, settling down in one of the chairs.

"I'll start with my parents. My parents knew each other in school, and it wasn't until their sixth year of schooling did my father, Sirius, begin to court my mother, Elaine. They were very much in love and my father proposed to my mother in their seventh and final year of schooling," she began.

"They got married almost immediately after they graduated. A war was going on at the time, so it wasn't out of the ordinary for them to be married so soon. My uncle, Regulus, and my father never got along especially when it came to their beliefs. My uncle fought for the Dark, a group known as the Death Eaters, while my father fought for the Light," she continued.

"However, my uncle began to think differently but it was too late for him to turn to the light side. The Death Eaters killed my uncle and my aunt Elizabeth, whom he had secretly married, leaving my cousin Vera an orphan. My parents adopted her and took care of her," Arlena said quietly.

She could read Éowyn's emotions easily and could tell she was stunned. Éomer, on the other hand, was much more difficult to read.

"Vera was two when her parents died, and two years later my older sister Cora was born. Then, my father was framed for a crime he didn't commit and was thrown in jail," Arlena sighed.

She then continued on to explain how her mother was pregnant with her and her twin James, but Elaine never got the chance to tell Sirius since he was in Azkaban. For thirteen years, her father remained in jail, oblivious to their existence. He managed to escape, but since his name wasn't cleared, he had to remain in hiding. It wasn't until three years ago that her father became a truly free man.

"My mother is one of the strongest people I have ever met. She managed to take care of four children on her own, with the help of some close family friends," she said, ending her story there. She was exhausted and did not want to continue on explaining for much longer.

"There is more to tell, but I do not wish to tell you of such things yet," she then said after a moment of silence.

Éowyn got up from the bed, "I understand completely," she said. "But in the meantime, we should all get some sleep."

"Good night, Éowyn and Éomer," Arlena said.

Éomer, who had remained silent for most of the night, merely bowed his head in goodbye and wordlessly followed his sister out of the room. She stared at the door for awhile, wondering what his silence meant.

Arlena didn't understand Éomer one bit and it annoyed the hell out of her.

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><p><strong>A.N: Reviews are always appreciated. Next chapter will cover James having a nice chat with Lord Elrond! :)<strong>


	4. Chapter 4: Rivendell

**Sorry for such a long wait. A break up, laptop charger breaking, and finals have distracted me from posting this.  
>I hope you enjoy!<strong>

**Helpful pronunciations:**

_Beinion; Bay-nee-on_  
><em>Orthorien; Ore-thore-ee-ehn <em>

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><p><em>Rivendell<em>

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><p>James found himself waiting in what appeared to be a massive library. Nothing could have prepared him for the beauty that was Rivendell. Standing in the library with probably a permanent dumbstruck expression on his face, he waited for Lord Elrond.<p>

"Welcome to Rivendell, James Black," a voice behind him said.

He turned around and found himself facing an elf that only could be Lord Elrond.

"Your city is breathtaking, Lord Elrond. I have never seen anything like it before," he said honestly.

"Thank you. It shall be your home for the next couple of months," Lord Elrond said.

"But why am I here?" James asked, getting straight to the point.

"Dark times are approaching, James. I have foreseen you and your sisters playing a key role in upcoming events," Lord Elrond said.

"My sisters? They're here? Can I see them?" he quickly asked.

"I'm afraid you cannot see them, for they are not in Rivendell. They are in other places, but you shall see them again," he said to the young wizard.

"Many weeks from now, there shall be a council that I shall like you to attend. In the meantime, you shall begin training," he continued, not giving James a chance to ask more of his sisters.

"What sort of training?" James asked curious.

"You will come across situations where magic will fail you. It would do you some good to be able to wield a sword or use a bow. You also will be given lessons - mostly in geography, to better prepare yourself for what is outside these borders," Lord Elrond explained.

James nodded his head in agreement. It did make sense.

"When do I start?" he asked.

"Now, if you so wish," Lord Elrond said, slightly amused.

"I'd like that," James said. He was eager to try some new things.

"I shall send for Beinion. He will be responsible for your training," Lord Elrond said before he made the arrangements.

"Who shall be overseeing my lessons?" James asked, curious.

"I will be overseeing them, James. However, when I cannot, Orthorien shall be overseeing them," the elf explained.

James did not have to wait long. Ten minutes later, an elf with long dark brown hair and striking green eyes entered the library.

"You requested my presence, Lord Elrond?"

"Beinion, I'd like you to meet your new pupil, James Black," Lord Elrond said.

Beinion turned to look at James. James stared back at him, knowing he was measuring him up.

"It shall be my honor, Lord Elrond," the elf said before once again turning to James.

"Do you have any fighting experience, James Black?" Beinion asked.

"With magic," James said quietly, thinking of the war.

"A wizard?" Beinion arched his eyebrow. "Very well. How about wielding a sword?"

"Er, no," James said.

"A bow?"

"No," James said awkwardly.

"Hmm," Beinion said making his way towards a table. A smooth, polished stone rested on top of a pile of papers. Beinion picked it up in his hand and tossed it lightly, letting it fall back into the palm of his hand.

James was studying him carefully, wondering what Beinion was going to say next.

"Catch this, James," Beinion said quickly before tossing the stone towards him.

Without a thought, James caught it in his hand. He stared back at Beinion and noticed he had a smile on his face.

"Good reflexes. A good foundation to begin training with," Beinion said before holding his hand out for the stone.

James approached Beinion and Lord Elrond and returned the stone. Both elves were staring at him intently.

"Do I have something on my face?" He joked lightly, wondering what they were thinking about. He hadn't been this scrutinized since the Carrows were patrolling Hogwarts.

"How old are you, James?" Beinion asked curiously.

"I'm eighteen. Why do you ask?"

"Only eighteen? Lord Elrond, he's still practically a boy!" Beinion said to Lord Elrond.

"Do not doubt his abilities, Beinion. Does he carry himself the way an eighteen year old would? Look into his eyes, Beinion, and you shall see he has gone through much hardship," Lord Elrond said.

At the mention of hardship, memories came flooding back to James. Fear of walking through the corridors alone, being tortured for merely existing, the numerous sleepless nights, and being virtually cut off from the outside world all came back to him. The memories were so overwhelming that James had to break eye contact with Beinion.

"Children have to grow up fast in order to survive. Boys become men far too quickly in times of war, and what innocence is lost can never be regained," James said quietly.

"Forgive me, James. Come, you must be hungry, but first I shall show you to your rooms and then we shall have lunch," Beinion said.

Beinion turned to Lord Elrond and bowed, his hand over his heart. Lord Elrond returned the gesture and looked to James. Not really sure what to do, James just nodded his head in respect.

Lord Elrond watched the pair leave the library with a bittersweet smile on his face.

x

"We are not far from your talan, James," Beinion said.

"My what?" James asked confused.

"Forgive me, your room," Beinion corrected.

"Oh, I'll have to remember that," James said.

"Lord Elrond said you hadn't had a pupil in a while. How long ago was it?" James asked.

"Fifty years ago," Beinion stated offhandedly.

James stared at him. How was that possible?

"But- but you look so _young_," he stated confused beyond belief.

"Elves are immortal, James," Beinion said.

"How old are you then?" James asked, trying to wrap his mind around immortality.

"I'm two thousand and five years old, James," the elf said.

James stopped in his tracks. Sweet Merlin that was a_long_ time.

"Move along, James. We're almost there," the elf said, interrupting the wizard's confused thoughts.

They soon approached a door that was intricately designed with various animals. Most of them James recognized, but there were some he didn't.

"Here we are," Beinion said before opening the door and allowing James to look. James walked in and to his amazement, realized this room was the same size of at least half of his entire flat in London.

"As an honorary guest of Lord Elrond's, you shall have a maid that shall keep your room nice and tidy. In addition, you have access to the library and are able to dine with us in the hall," Beinion continued.

"Wow, this is more room than I'll ever need!" James said as he sat down in an ornate carved arm chair. He wasn't expecting it to be that comfortable, but was amazed to find that it felt extremely luxurious.

"Elves are the most comfortable in open and airy spaces," Beinion said.

"Come, you must be hungry. I shall show you to the hall," the elf continued.

"Alright. By the way, what shall you like me to call you?" James said after closing the door.

"What do you mean?" Beinion asked confused.

"Well, you're my teacher. As your student, isn't there an official title that I call you?" the wizard asked.

"I suppose you're right," Beinion said quietly, thinking it over.

"Well, what do you want me to call you? Professor? No, that doesn't seem right. Sensei? Master?" James asked.

Beinion looked smug, "Master shall work wonderfully."

"As you wish Master Beinion," James said laughing.

x

"Now, today I'll only introduce you to the weapons you shall be learning to use," Beinion said only two hours after lunch.

"That's fine with me," James said as they entered the training grounds. He watched in awe as elves sparred each other and was overwhelmed by how graceful they looked.

"There is a path behind the sparring fields that leads to the archery targets," Beinion said.

James nodded, taking everything in.

"First, the sword," Beinion said as he handed it to James.

James took it and was shocked to find it so light. It was simple in its design, and its blade was dull.

"This is merely a practice sword. We don't want you to cause too much damage," Beinion said.

"It's so light," James said in awe.

"Yes, it's one of the qualities that Elvish swords possess," Beinion said watching James with the sword. His movements were awkward and unsure.

"You shall become accustomed to it in no time," the elf explained, taking the sword.

James nodded, remembering how odd it felt to fly on a broom for the first time.

"Now, let's see how well you fare with a bow," Beinion said.

x

"So, once the arrow's in place, you pull back and let go?" James said staring at the bow in his hands.

"Correct," Beinion said.

"Alright Black, you can do this," James mumbled to himself. Pulling the string back, he aimed towards the target.

With an odd sounding twang the arrow zoomed forward, and landed merely yards away from him.

"Well, that's disappointing," James muttered, glaring at the arrow.

"On the contrary, that was excellent," Beinion said.

"How? The arrow isn't even remotely near the target," James said.

"Is said arrow stuck in your foot?" Beinion asked.

"No," James said confused.

"Does anyone have an arrow stuck in them?"

"No."

"Is your bow broken?"

James looked at his bow and found it in pristine condition.

"No, it's not," he said.

"Then you have done an excellent job for your first time," Beinion said.

James opened his mouth to reply with a sarcastic comment, but decided against it.

"I suppose you're right," James begrudgingly admitted.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, James. You are a fast learner, and will be the best you can be in no time," Beinion said.

"It's just frustrating when I can just do this instead," James said as he pulled out his wand. With a swish, arrows spouted from his wand and became embedded in the center of the target.

"Impressive," Beinion said. "But in a world of swords and bows, James, your magic can only help you so far."

"Come, we are done for today. I shall take you to the seamstress for you to be measured. You will need more clothes if you plan on staying here for awhile," Beinion continued.

James sighed and nodded, putting his wand back in his pocket. He needed to learn to rely less on magic.

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><p><strong>A.N: Thanks to all those who have alertedreviewed this story! It really means a lot! Reviews are always appreciated. Next chapter will be dinner with Denethor. :)**


	5. Chapter 5: Minas Tirith

**Enjoy this chapter!**

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><p><em>Minas Tirith<em>

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><p>Cora found herself pacing, unbelievably nervous for dinner. Gandalf's warning kept replaying in her mind and she hoped she could keep herself in check.<p>

_"Make sure you stay on Denethor's good side, Cora. Women's opinions are not as highly thought of as in your time. It would not bode well to have you kicked out of the Citadel,_" Gandalf had said to her before he left.

Being a freelance journalist, she had to work hard to get her writing acknowledged, but that was how things were. It was a cut-throat business, regardless of whether you were a man or a woman.

She wondered why Gandalf had warned her in the first place. Cora hadn't even been in this new world for an entire day, but as soon as she had seen those guards in armor, she knew things were different.

She knew when to keep her mouth shut, but she wasn't afraid to put someone in their place when the situation called for it.

Now, if he had been talking to Arlena, it would have made much more sense. Arlena had a fiery temper and when pushed, she would snap back. How bad could Denethor be that Gandalf needed to warn her?

As a new wave of nervousness overwhelmed her, she found herself fiddling with the long sleeves of the silver gown she was now wearing. After the seamstress had taken her measurements, a maid named Laurel came in with a dress.

Laurel had told her that she was to be her maid for her duration at the Citadel and that Lord Faramir had requested that some of his mother's dresses be brought to her until she had clothes of her own.

Laurel insisted that she had to change for dinner and promised to do her hair to make her presentable for dinner. The dress had fit her almost perfectly albeit it was slightly loose. A quick spell fixed that problem easily and now she found herself waiting for Lord Faramir to escort her to dinner.

A knock thankfully interrupted her thoughts. Walking over to the door, she opened it and found herself staring at a man that certainly was not Faramir.

How could she have forgotten that Faramir had said either him or his brother, Boromir, would escort her down to dinner.

"Hello, you must be Lord Faramir's brother, Lord Boromir," Cora said, hiding her disappointment very well.

Boromir was a bear of a man, but had the same shade of brown hair and blue eyes that his younger brother had.

"Aye, Lady Cora, I am Boromir. My brother was not lying when he said that you were a sight to behold," he said bowing to her.

Cora blushed, "You flatter me, Lord Boromir. Do you flatter every woman you meet with such compliments?"

"Nay, only to those that are deserving of such flattery," he said, smiling impishly.

She laughed and shook her head at him. He was much more daring than Faramir.

"Shall we go to dinner?" Boromir asked, offering his arm to her. She nodded and accepted his arm.

"It is nice to see my mother's dresses be put into use again. Long have they been put away in storage," Boromir said, taking her outfit in.

"Make no mistake, it is a lovely dress, but I'm not used to wearing dresses," Cora said honestly. She owned a few sun dresses and cocktail dresses, but they were all short and showed a lot more skin than this dress.

Mostly she owned skirts, and she usually wore those when she went into work to turn her articles in. She liked wearing pants and t-shirts, but she had a sinking feeling she wouldn't be wearing any of those any time soon.

"Oh, is that so?" Boromir said, arching an eyebrow.

"Yes, if I'm going to be honest, I'd prefer to wear what you're wearing," she said, gesturing to the tunic and trousers Boromir was wearing.

She noticed the thinly disguised look of annoyance on his face. So he must think women belong at home, wearing dresses and taking care of children. Well, she would change that.

"I have to warn you that my father addresses people briskly and not always politely," Boromir said, fumbling for the right words.

Cora squeezed his arm in reassurance, "I have been told to be on my best behavior by Gandalf. Do not worry so."

Apparently the mention of Gandalf did not bring Boromir any reassurance whatsoever.

They soon approached the dining hall, and found Faramir seated next to a foreboding man that could only be his father. Faramir quickly stood up at their entrance, but his father didn't.

After she concluded her first assessment, she wasn't impressed with the Steward of Gondor. A feeling of dread formed in the pit of her stomach once she approached the two other men.

"Father, this is Lady Cora," Boromir said, retracting his arm from hers. "And Madam, this is Lord Denethor, the Steward of Gondor."

Although he had stood up, Lord Denethor still didn't say anything. Not knowing what to do in such a situation, she improvised.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, my Lord," Cora said, sweeping into a curtsy.

"Who gave you permission to wear that dress?" Denethor said rudely, his eyes narrowing at the dress she was wearing.

Cora's face paled and she was at a loss for words. He was angry and she had only said one thing to him!

"I did, Father," Boromir said, rescuing her. "She had no appropriate clothing for dinner, so until new clothes are made, I granted permission for some of Mother's gowns to be aired out."

She stared at Boromir, wondering why he took the credit for giving her the dresses when it was Faramir. She figured she would find out soon enough.

Denethor stared at Boromir, and his anger subsided.

"Very well then," Denethor said, making his way back to his seat.

Cora was led to her seat by Boromir. After he pushed her seat in, she quietly thanked him and watched him walk to the other side of the table and sat down next to his brother.

"I wanted to say thank you for your kindness and hospitality, Steward," she said, thinking that was the most logical thing to say.

"My sons insisted upon it," Denethor said, looking in the direction of Boromir and Faramir. Cora didn't fail to notice how he looked only at Boromir, not Faramir.

"You can thank them, not me. I had no say in the matter," he grumbled, glaring at her.

Faramir noticed her jaw muscles tightening up and the insulted look in her eyes. This was not going to end well, he thought.

Denethor suddenly clapped his hands and a mass of servants entered the room, carrying trays of food.

x

Cora spent her time staring at her plate, making sure she ate it as lady-like as possible.

"Are you of noble blood?" Denethor suddenly asked halfway through dinner.

She quickly looked up from her plate and made eye contact with Faramir.

"No I'm not, my Lord," she said, staring at Denethor.

"Then why have my sons been giving you the title of 'Lady' this entire time? More importantly, why have I been dining in the presence of someone so beneath me?" Denethor said in a deadly quiet voice.

Cora knew that tone of voice- the calm before the storm. She had to act quickly or hell was going to break loose.

"I am a witch, Steward. Ever since meeting your sons, they have given me such titles of nobility. I am not familiar with titles and the like, so forgive me for not correcting them otherwise. I may not have noble blood, but I come from an ancient line of wizards," Cora said, trying to be as diplomatic as possible.

She despised this man with every fiber of her being. Cora took note of the impressed look on Faramir's face, while Boromir was stonily silent. He seemed to have inherited that trait from his father.

"A witch? Like that fool of a wizard, Gandalf?" Denethor said.

Cora tightened her grip on her fork until her knuckles became white. She had to remain in control. She noticed Faramir was staring at his plate while Boromir was watching her curiously.

"Not entirely. I will admit that I do not know Gandalf well. He very well may be a fool, but he's a powerful one," Cora said coldly. She had to stay in control of her emotions or else the consequences could be disastrous.

She then looked down at the fork in her hand and to her dismay it was bent in half. She covered it with her napkin, hoping that Denethor didn't see. Thankfully he hadn't, but Boromir had.

The table remained silent after her outburst, and she wondered if she had overstepped her boundaries.

"You have had a long day. Come, let me take you back to your rooms," Faramir said, interrupting the silence.

Cora got up from her seat as quickly as she could without being rude and with a fast curtsy, allowed Faramir to escort her out of the dining hall.

Dinner, more or less, was a disaster.

x

"What an absolutely foul man! I know he's your father, Faramir, but I have never met a more difficult man than him! The way he treats you is barbaric! How do you handle it?" Cora ranted once they finally reached her rooms.

"As you noticed, my father prefers Boromir. But Boromir and I are very close. We look out for each other, and sometimes he will take the blame for things that I have done because he knows Father will react differently. It may be barbaric, but that is the way things are," Faramir said quietly, leaning against the wall as he watched her pace back and forth along the balcony.

"It's not right, it isn't fair!" She needed to punch something or at least scream. Then an idea popped into head.

"Please excuse my unladylike behavior, Faramir," she said before walking back into her room.

Confused, he stood there wondering what she meant. Then he heard muffled screams. He ran into the room to find Cora screaming into her pillows.

"You are certainly interesting, that's for sure," Faramir mumbled to himself.

Cora sat up and brushed her hair out of her face. She noticed Faramir had an amused expression on his face.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

"Only a little. I still need to destroy something. Then maybe I shall be good," She said, climbing off the bed as graceful as she could.

"Well, I can't help you with that, but I can show you the training grounds," Faramir said making his way towards the door. He held out his hand for her to take.

"Why the training grounds?" she asked curiously. She took his hand without a thought.

"So then you have a place where you can practice your magic. I'm assuming you would like somewhere to practice, yes?" he said conversationally, leading her in the right direction.

"Yes, that would be perfect. Practicing also prevents me from losing control of my magic," she said.

"Like when you bent that fork as if it were nothing?" Faramir said.

Cora's face paled. "You saw that too? I only thought your brother had."

"Yes, I saw it out of the corner of my eye. Do you always need your wand to perform magic?" he asked.

"Did I use a wand to bend that fork?" she asked.

"No, you did not," he said.

"Then no, I don't always need my wand," she continued.

x

Once Faramir escorted her back to her room, she felt so much better.

"Thank you, Faramir. I feel so much better now," she told him honestly.

"I'm happy to hear that, Cora. I'll show you the library tomorrow, if that'd please you," he said.

She smiled liking the sound of that, "That would be lovely."

"Excellent. Good night, Cora," he said before placing a kiss on her hand.

Cora felt her stomach flip when she felt his lips brush against her skin.

"Good night, Faramir," she said before she entered her room.

She leaned against the door and she allowed herself to giggle. She admitted to herself that she was attracted to him, but it was way too soon to tell if it was anything more. She pegged it down to the fact that she wasn't used to such gentlemanly behavior.

Besides, there was nothing wrong with admiring the scenery. Right?

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><p><strong>A.N: Feedback is appreciated! And I'm soooo happy about all the alert's this story has gotten! Next chapter shall cover some Arlena and Theodred interaction.<strong>


	6. Chapter 6: Edoras

**This Chapter is a wee bit shorter, but hopefully you enjoy it nonetheless!**

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><p><em>Edoras<em>

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><p>A few days after her arrival, Arlena found herself staring at a map with the heir to Rohan.<p>

"So this is Rohan?" Arlena asked, pointing to a spot on the map of Middle Earth.

"Yes," Théodred said. He continued on explaining about the lands of Middle Earth until he noticed the saddened expression on her face.

"What is troubling you, Arlena? Am I boring you?" he teased lightly.

She looked at him and shook her head, giving him a small smile. "No, of course not. I'm just homesick, that's all. I miss my family, more specifically my older sister and twin brother."

He gave her a sad smile before squeezing her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her.

"Come, we can continue this geography lesson later. Would you like to go riding?" he asked her.

Arlena smiled brightly. "That would be lovely. Can I change first?"

"Yes, of course. I'll ask Éowyn if she'd like to come along as well," he told her before they parted their ways.

x

"What odd clothes for a woman to be wearing," she heard Éomer say from behind her. She looked down at the plain beige tunic and brown trousers.

"Like my boots? I transfigured them to be like yours," she said cheekily, pointing her boot towards him.

He looked down at her boots and then at his. They were in fact quite similar to the ones he was currently wearing. Éomer just arched his eyebrow at her and shook his head in amusement.

"You do know how to ride, right?" Théodred said, grabbing his saddle to put on his horse.

"Yes, I do. I refuse to ride side-saddle though," She said, shrugging him off.

"Is Éowyn coming?" she then asked, leading her horse out of its stall.

"No, she told me she has some unfinished work to be done," Théodred said, sounding slightly confused.

Arlena looked away from both men and fought her urge to smile. Éowyn had been secretly teaching her how to use a sword for the past week and a half. Éowyn had promised her that she would get her own sword soon enough.

"Very well, let's go then shall we?" she said, mounting her horse.

x

They had been riding for an hour when Arlena felt a change in the air. Something wasn't right.

"Something's not right," she said, voicing her thoughts. She noticed Éomer was looking around them suspiciously.

"We're being followed," Éomer finally said.

A knot of sheer dread formed in the pit of her stomach. She didn't want to find out what was following them.

"Wargs! Arlena ride back now!" Théodred yelled before pulling out his sword.

"But-"

"That's an order! Now go!"

She turned to look at Éomer and found him ready to fight as well. In the distance, she saw four massive beasts approaching them fast.

She didn't want to admit it to herself, but she was frightened. These creatures were massive in size and she now understood why Théodred and Éomer dreaded them so much.

As she was making her escape, a fifth one crossed her path. Her horse reared in surprise, and she was thrown off.

"Stupefy!" she screamed, stunning the Warg. She didn't know how long it would stay unconscious.

Turning to look, she saw Éomer and Théodred fending off the rest of the Wargs. Without a second thought, she turned on the spot and apparated to them.

"Théodred, kill it!" she screamed after she stunned another one. Théodred quickly stabbed the foul beast.

There was a moment of sheer quiet after all the Wargs had been taken care of.

"We must get back. It's no longer safe," Éomer said, breaking the eerie silence.

"May I ride with you? My horse ran off," Arlena said quietly.

Éomer nodded, helping her get on. Arlena wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her head against his back. Closing her eyes, she let out a shaky breath. She was still shaking from the adrenaline rush.

Opening her eyes, she saw Théodred staring at her.

"I'm fine, Théodred. It's just been awhile since I had to defend myself," she said calmly. She saw Théodred nod at her, and closed her eyes again.

She didn't fail to notice Éomer's hand resting atop of hers the entire ride back.

x

"Oh, it's absolutely beautiful, Éowyn!" Arlena gasped in surprise as she took in the sword before her.

It was rather simple in design, but at the hilt of the sword was a beautiful geometric design consisting of squares and an engraving that she couldn't decipher.

"It means 'never falter'. I believe it is a fitting saying," Éowyn said, smiling at the younger girl.

Arlena smiled and gave her a hug.

"Never falter, Éowyn dear. We must be strong in times such as these," she said.

x

Sleep evaded her. Tossing and turning, she huffed in frustration when she realized sleep was not going to come. It was maybe a half hour before dawn, but she decided to get ready for the new day regardless.

After simply braiding her hair, she walked out of her room and decided to see if anyone was in the main hall.

Her steps were quiet as she walked along towards the main hall, her thoughts consuming her focus.

When she finally reached her destination, it was bizarre to see it so empty. Granted, according to Éowyn, the hall was a lot less crowded as of late, but it was never fully empty like it was now.

Sighing, she sat down on one of the benches and took in her surroundings. Nothing about this room seemed cheerful to her. Théodred told her it once was a happy place, but ever since the King's mind was slowly being poisoned it became dark and creepy.

Her thoughts drifted towards her family and a wave of homesickness crashed over her. How would her family react when they found out where she was? Surely they would have noticed her being gone. Hopefully they didn't fear for her too much. She was safe for the time being and that's all that mattered to her.

Suddenly she felt like she was being watched. Looking around, she found the culprit.

"Your eyes watch my every movement, Éomer," she said quietly.

Éomer emerged from the shadows, not in the least embarrassed that she caught him watching her. He wouldn't deny her statement since it was true. He found her interesting, to say the least.

"Why are you not sleeping like everyone else?" he asked, approaching her.

"I was going to ask the same thing about yourself," she smirked, taking in his simple green tunic. In her opinion, the color suited him very well.

When he remained silent, she sighed before standing up.

"I couldn't sleep," she stated simply.

"I couldn't sleep either. I thought a walk would help, but it has only made me even more restless," Éomer finally admitted.

Arlena smiled sadly at him, understanding the feeling. Only Merlin knows how many times she tried taking a walk to make herself sleepy during her school years. It never worked, but she kept doing it anyways.

"Trust me, Éomer. It never helps," she told him.

"It would have been nice to have known that before I had decided to take a walk," he smirked.

"Well, I'm sorry it has never come up in conversation. If you ever need cures for insomnia, I have plenty you can choose from. However, I cannot guarantee that they will work," she joked.

He smiled back at her, "Thank you. I am willing to do anything to cure my insomnia."

"Anything?" she teased.

"Within reason, of course," he clarified.

She shook her head, smiling at him. She found it rather easy to tease him. Although Théodred was friendly enough, she could never bring herself to tease him. She vaguely wondered why, but brushed that thought aside.

"Well, I think I'll try to get some sleep," Arlena said, bending the truth. She knew she wouldn't sleep, but decided she should go back to her room.

"Very well. I hope you sleep well," Éomer said.

"Try to get some sleep as well, alright?" Arlena said.

Éomer nodded in response. Walking past him, he quickly caught her hand. Confused, she turned around and looked at him.

"Arlena, if you ever need to talk about anything, don't hesitate," Éomer said.

She stared at him in confusion, until the proverbial light bulb turned on above her head. He was referring to the incident with the Wargs.

"Thank you, Éomer. That means a lot to me," she said, squeezing his hand.

Éomer watched her walk away and wondered what the hell he was doing. He couldn't be developing feelings for the witch, it just couldn't happen. Not when his own cousin was interested in her.

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><p><strong>A.N: Hopefully you like this chapter! Feedback is appreciated! :)<strong>


	7. Chapter 7: Rivendell & Minas Tirith

**Enjoy this chapter! :)  
><strong>Helpful Pronunciations:

_Glandur - Glahn-dur_

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><p><em>Rivendell &amp; Minas Tirith<em>

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><p>"Move your feet, James!" Beinion barked while he was sparring with an elf named Glandur.<p>

"I am, Beinion!" James managed to say whilst he blocked a blow from Glandur.

Glandur managed to disarm him and in a matter of seconds, James was on the ground groaning in frustration.

"Much better this time around, James. You managed to last for fifteen minutes this time," Glandur said as he helped the young wizard up.

"But I'm still not even close to disarming you," James said, wiping some dirt off himself.

"You won't ever be fighting Elves in battle, James. Orcs for the most part, Goblins, and maybe some other men. You'll be fine against them," Beinion said.

"In a month or two you shall know how you fare," Glandur said, in reference to the mysterious Council Meeting.

Beinion nodded in agreement.

"What shall we do next, then?" James asked, brushing his black hair out of his face. It was getting longer, but he liked it this way.

"Actually, that is all for today, James. You may do whatever you wish," Beinion said.

James smiled, liking the sound of that. Beinion was a strict teacher, but James liked him nonetheless. His hand over his heart, James bowed in respect and watched his master leave.

"Well, Glandur. How about some lunch? I'm starving!" James announced.

"You're always starving, James," Glandur laughed.

James just shrugged, "Stop making the food so delicious. Only then I shall eat less."

-x-

"How is James progressing?" Lord Elrond asked Beinion as they were walking through one of the many beautiful gardens of Rivendell.

"Very well. His skill with the bow is much better than his swordsmanship, so I've made him spend more time sparring," Beinion explained.

Elrond nodded, figuring Beinion was not finished explaining.

"The one thing that would really help James now is a sparring partner that isn't an Elf. It is becoming more apparent that James knows he is no match against one," Beinion said.

"Do not be too worried. Estel shall be arriving soon. You and I both know he wouldn't mind helping James out," Elrond said.

Beinion smiled, "Estel is coming? I shall very much enjoy seeing my favorite pupil once again."

"Playing favorites, are we? I thought you knew better than that, Beinion," Elrond joked.

"Until James I hadn't had a pupil for fifty years. Estel was a joy to teach," Beinion retorted back.

"Well, until he arrives, continue teaching James the same way you have," Lord Elrond said, concluding the conversation.

Beinion bowed in respect, "Of course, Lord Elrond."

-x-

"Ah, it appears that Elladan and Elrohir have finally returned," Glandur said as they reached the dining hall.

"And they are?" James asked confused. He had never heard of them before.

"Forgive me, I forget you are new here. They are the twin sons of Lord Elrond and Arwen's older brothers," he quickly explained.

"Which one is which?" James asked sheepishly, taking in their dark hair and grey eyes. To him, they were completely identical.

"Once you get to know them it is easier to tell them apart," Glandur said.

James nodded, knowing this from going to school with the Weasley twins and then eventually working for them.

"Elladan is on the left, and Elrohir is on the right."

"Glandur, our dear friend! It is so nice to see you again!" Elladan said happily.

"Come sit with us! And bring your friend as well," Elrohir said.

"This is James Black. James, I'd like you to meet my best friends," Glandur said happily.

"Beinion's new pupil?" Elladan said in surprise.

"That's me," James said awkwardly.

"Well, come sit down! Ever since Father told us about you, we've been eager to meet you!" Elrohir said.

James soon discovered that they had been helping the Rangers of the North out, and returned home at the request of their father. James found them amusing and in some respects, a lot like Fred and George.

"Father picked the worst time to request us back home. There has been a lot of Orc activity lately-"

"Normally we would only come across a group or two -"

"-During every few patrols."

"But this time, I have lost track of how many I took down. The Rangers need all the help they can get-"

"-And we would happily oblige them, if not for Father."

"I forgot how obnoxious it is when you two finish each other's sentences," Glandur groaned.

James laughed, but a wave of sadness washed over him. He quickly tried to hide it.

"What is wrong?" Elrohir asked James.

"Oh, nothing. I just miss my twin sister, Arlena. We would finish each other sentences mostly to annoy people, especially our older sister, Cora," James said quietly.

Elladan and Elrohir exchanged a glance. Being separated from your twin was hard.

"Cheer up, James. You shall see your sisters again," Glandur said reassuringly.

James just nodded, having heard that before.

"Are you fond of pranks, James?" Elladan asked mischievously, in hopes of changing the subject.

A devious smile came across James' face that would have put the Weasley twins to shame.

"Gentlemen, you are talking to the right man. I live and breathe for pranks," he said smirking.

Glandur watched as all three formed impish grins upon their faces. He was beginning to regret his decision of introducing James to them.

xxx

Cora found herself to be the only female in the entire training grounds of the Citadel. Since she was not there to train, she did not mind this fact in the least. She had crafted herself a sketchbook and had the intent to do some sketching.

She found a nice patch of grass and got settled in. Picking a blade of grass, she transfigured it into a pencil. She looked around in search of a potential subject.

Faramir was overseeing a group of archers and she couldn't help but stare. He seemed patient and looked like he genuinely cared that the archers succeeded. Without a second thought, she began to draw.

"The training grounds are no place for a woman," Boromir said. She had just finished her sketch of Faramir and was quite pleased with the results. Looking up, she saw Boromir sparring with another soldier.

"On the contrary Boromir, there's no place I'd rather be than here," she said as she turned to a fresh page.

"It is a dangerous place, Cora. You might accidentally get hurt," he said.

"I see Faramir failed to tell you that I fought in a war. Your concern for my safety is touching, Boromir, but I can take care of myself just fine," she stared at him, knowing her response was going to strike a nerve with him.

"Women are not meant to fight," Boromir stated bluntly.

"Oh? And what are they supposed to do?" She asked, putting her sketchbook aside. There was a warning tone in her voice, but he didn't know her well enough to pick it up.

Faramir did pick up on it and quickly made his way towards them. Just in case he had to diffuse the situation.

"They belong at home, taking care of the house and children," Boromir said, turning to look at her.

She stood up from her spot and walked over to him.

"I could take you," she said, staring straight into his eyes.

He laughed at her. Oh, how this man infuriated her.

"Alright then. Have a go at me," she said, walking towards him. She politely asked for a sword and was reluctantly given one.

"Do not hesitate, Boromir. I may be a woman, but I can fight," she said.

By now, a crowd had formed around the pair and Cora had to hide her smirk. She was going to teach him a lesson.

She waited for him to make the first move. Cora managed to block his first move, but she had to act fast or else she was in deep trouble. Holding one hand out, she used a burst of magic to force him away from her. Boromir was completely disoriented, and she knew she had him.

Tossing her sword aside, she replaced it with her wand. In a matter of seconds, she managed to disarm, petrify, and bind him in ropes all while he was floating above the ground upside down.

The crowd became eerily silent after what they had witnessed. Cora slowly lowered her wand and made her way towards Boromir. He was still upside down but was eye level with her. He looked shaken, and if he hadn't pissed her off so much she would have felt somewhat sorry for what she had done. But alas, she wasn't sorry in the least.

"Do not underestimate the power a woman can have over you, Boromir. Witch or otherwise," she warned him. She stared at him a little while longer, and then decided it was time for her to leave the training grounds.

Picking up her sketchbook, she made her way back towards her quarters. Absentmindedly, she waved her wand and Boromir was released from all the spells she had cast upon him.

Faramir went to check on his brother, but before he even got there he heard him say he was completely fine. After briefly making eye contact with his brother, Faramir knew he was okay. The only thing that was injured was Boromir's ego.

Now, he had a witch to talk to before she decided to hex anyone else.

-x-

"Remind me to never upset you," Faramir said once he caught up to Cora. He found her leaning against a stone pillar near the gardens of the guest quarters.

Cora jumped and dropped her sketchbook in surprise. Faramir found a wand aimed at his throat and he was silently impressed with her reflexes. He calmly waited for her to put her wand away before he did anything else.

"Forgive me, Faramir. You surprised me," she said apologetically.

"I should have known better," Faramir said before he went to pick up her sketchbook. It had fallen open to her sketch of him helping out the archers.

"You drew this?" he asked, handing her the sketchbook.

"Yes, I did. I wanted to brush up on my live-action sketches and thought the training grounds would be a good place to draw," she said, blushing.

"So that explains why you were staring so intently at me," he smirked at her.

Cora gasped in shock. Oh sweet Merlin, he had seen her staring at him? How embarrassing.

"Do not worry so, my Lady. It is an honor to have such a talented artist draw me," he said, trying to reassure her.

"You are mistaken, Faramir. I am no Lady," she said quietly, remembering Denethor's cold words.

"In my eyes, you deserve such a title, Cora," he said boldly.

Cora smiled at him and blushed an even darker shade of red.

"Until we meet again, Lady Cora," he said before kissing her hand.

Cora watched him walk away and let out a shaky breath when she was sure he wouldn't suddenly come back. She leaned against the stone pillar and slowly slid down it until she was sitting on the floor.

She wasn't stupid, she saw the way he looked at her. He fancied her and she fancied him back. She hardly knew Faramir, but she had never felt this way about anyone before. Hell, if she was going to be honest, the four years she spent with Oliver paled in comparison to this.

Standing up, she made her way towards her room. Right now, she needed to ask Laurel about the common courting rituals. Things were being set into motion, that was for certain.

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><p><strong>A.N: I really do hope you enjoyed this chapter! Feedback is always appreciated. <strong>


	8. Chapter 8: Edoras & Minas Tirith

**Hope you enjoy this chapter! Eomer and Faramir featured in the same chapter?  
>Lovely if you ask me! ;) <strong>

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><p><em>Edoras &amp; Minas Tirith<em>

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><p>Arlena finally began to understand why Cora liked to people watch so much. She began to pick up on things she never would have noticed otherwise. She noticed that Éomer was right-handed while Théodred was left-handed. When Éowyn was upset, she would fidget with the sleeves of her dress. She didn't need special observation skills to notice the way Grima watches Éowyn like a hawk.<p>

Arlena needed to talk to Éomer about it as soon as possible. Her encounters with Grima were thankfully brief and few. She wasn't looking forward to the day when she would encounter him by herself.

She never tried to observe the King though. Mostly because she never saw him and when she did she didn't want to bring too much attention to herself. They were all eating lunch in the hall when she was paying particular attention to the only nephew of the King.

"What are you staring at?" Éowyn asked when she realized that Arlena wasn't paying attention to a word of what she was saying.

"Your brother," Arlena stated bluntly, forgetting who she was talking to.

Éowyn began to choke on the soup she was eating. She definitely wasn't expecting Arlena to be so honest.

"Alright there, Éowyn?" the younger girl asked.

After several coughs, the blonde nodded fiercely. While all this was happening, Arlena failed to notice Éomer getting up from the other table to get another helping of the soup.

"I often forget that you're so blunt, Arlena," she said once she finally recovered.

Arlena shrugged and went back to eating her soup.

"Do you like him?" Éowyn whispered.

Arlena coughed loudly as she choked on her soup. She glared at Éowyn while she tried to recover.

"What could possibly be causing both of you to choke on your soup? You are making quite the scene, my dears," a masculine voice whispered closely to them.

Arlena jumped in her seat and turned to find Éomer smirking at them. She blushed, wondering how much he had heard.

"None of your business, brother."

"Ah ah ah, now don't be snippy, my dear sister. I will let it be for now, but rest assured, I will find out sooner or later," he said with a wink before returning to his table.

"What's wrong?" Éowyn asked when she noticed the odd expression on Arlena's face.

"Is your brother always so.. playful?"

"For the most part, yes. He has quite the sense of humor. Why?"

"He's always reserved and serious around me."

"How odd." Éowyn stated plainly, not really sure what that meant either.

"You never answered my question, Arlena."

"Your brother is a mystery to me, Éowyn," she answered honestly. Éomer was so quiet and guarded around her and it only frustrated her. Especially now when she saw that he can joke around.

"What about Théodred?" Éowyn asked quietly.

Arlena looked at Éowyn in confusion. "What about him? He's not so guarded around me. He respects me. He even teases me every now and then. But," Arlena sighed.

"But what?"

"There's no spark. Nothing that grabs my attention. At least in the romantic sense," Arlena explained.

Éowyn nodded, trying to understand. She barely acknowledged Arlena as the witch excused herself from the table. Her thoughts were consuming her focus. Although she had been surrounded by men for the majority of her life, her brother and cousin never allowed any men that were interested in her get close to her. They just wanted to protect her, she knew that, but it frustrated her to no end.

The fact that they felt they needed to protect her frustrated her, not them preventing her from having a love life. Ever since Arlena showed up, however, she began to realize how much she has missed out on.

She left the hall wondering if she would ever be set free from her cage.

x

Arlena was wandering aimlessly through the hallways. The past two days had been nothing but stormy weather, so she was stuck inside. It was damp and drafty, which reminded her of parts of Hogwarts.

"Trying to sneak up on me, Grima?" Arlena asked. She had noticed Grima watching her the past couple of days, but she was watching him ever since she learned who he was.

She didn't like what she saw; he reminded her too much of Pettigrew.

"I've been watching you," he said vaguely.

"I know. Will you begin to follow me everywhere like you do to Éowyn?" she mocked.

She stared him in the eye and felt a chill creep up the back of her spine. For Merlin's sake, the man didn't even have any eyebrows!

"I can do far worse than that," he hissed.

Arlena could tell that this was a man that wouldn't threaten something like that unless he meant it. He might not be able to act upon these threats right this instant, but her gut was telling her that it wouldn't be long now till Grima had the ability to carry them out.

Oh, how she wanted to hex him into oblivion. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"As can I, Grima. Do not cross me," she stated coldly. She wasn't the only one who could threaten.

"Is that a threat?" Grima asked angrily.

"Would you like to find out? Stay away from me and Éowyn," she gritted out.

Deciding that now would be the best time to leave, she quickly turned on her heel and left Grima behind.

She needed to be as far away from Grima as she possibly could. Luckily, this was a decently sized building. Unfortunately, in her attempt to get away from Grima she was now lost and didn't recognize where she was.

Panic built up in her as she realized she desperately needed a private place to regain her composure. Blindly, she entered the first unlocked room that she could find. It was someone's bedroom, but thankfully it was empty.

Not really giving a damn about who's bedroom it was, she began to pace in an attempt to calm herself down. Her encounter with Grima had left her shaken. She hadn't had such an exchange with someone since the war.

She practically gave herself away with her threat to him. She wished she could have kept her stupid mouth shut. Swearing profusely, she realized that she may have completely jeopardized what little sense of security that she may have had.

She stopped pacing when she realized that it wasn't helping her one bit. It was then she noticed a forest green tunic draped over one of the chairs.

She froze. She _knew_ that tunic. It belonged to Éomer. She was in _his _room.

"Bloody hell, why me?" she muttered in disbelief. She had to get out of here. How would she explain herself if he found her?

Picking up her skirts she quickly made her way to the door, but almost collided with Éomer.

She visibly paled.

"Éomer I'm so sorry. I needed to get away from him but then I got lost so I panicked and rushed into this room and realized it was your room. I swear I didn't know that this was your room," she said in an awfully high pitch.

Éomer noticed her shaking hands and her even paler than normal complexion. She was shaken and it wasn't because he caught her in his room. He then thought over her extremely fast explanation of how she wound up in his room in the first place.

"Who were you trying to get away from?" he finally asked.

"Grima," she said quietly.

His eyes narrowed. What did that snake do this time? Éomer swore he would make him pay for whatever thing he did to shake Arlena up so much.

As she began to explain what had happened, Éomer began to wonder. It was strange to see her like this. The incident with the Wargs barely shook her up but a few minutes with Grima Wormtongue and she's on the verge of a meltdown.

"Éomer, I don't think you understand. The way he watches Éowyn is sickening. How does she not notice?" Arlena said, breaking Éomer's train of thought. He noticed that her voice was thick with emotion.

"She notices," he stated flatly. Arlena noticed his jaw clenching and knew she had to stop him before he did something foolish.

"Éomer, don't," she warned him.

"Why not? First he traumatizes my sister and then threatens you? No, enough is enough. That snake needs to go," he said, ready to storm out of his room and beat Grima to a bloody pulp.

"Éomer!" Arlena cried out, panic evident in her voice.

He paused at the door and slowly turned around. Arlena was still standing where he had left her, but was now on the verge of tears.

"Never confront Grima," she whispered.

"Why not? I could take him easily," Éomer stated arrogantly, wondering why she was doubting him.

She shook her head vehemently. "There's no question about that, but that's not the reason why."

Éomer remained silent.

"We don't know what tricks he has up his sleeves, Éomer. He is physically weak, yes, but that means nothing when he has all the power," she quickly explained.

He walked back towards her, realizing what she said made sense. They didn't know how much power Grima had over the King. For all he knew, Grima could persuade the King to banish them all.

"You're right, Arlena. I let my anger cloud my judgement," he said.

She nodded numbly, trying to keep her emotions in check but failing miserably. Without a second thought, she hugged him. At first he was shocked, but then wrapped his arms around her.

She suddenly pulled away, embarrassed by her actions.

"Sorry. Forgive me for my weakness," she said quietly, not looking at him.

"Arlena."

When she still didn't look at him, he tilted her chin so they were making eye contact.

"You are far from weak, Arlena. Always remember that," he said softly before brushing away a single tear from her face.

She slowly smiled.

xxx

Faramir woke up to a loud crash of thunder. Lightning lit up his room and was closely followed by another booming thunder thunder. Faramir ran a hand over his face, knowing he wouldn't fall asleep easily with a storm such as this.

Faramir cursed his luck. For the past two weeks he and his brother had been working constantly to prepare for the defense of Osgiliath. Both had little time to sleep or do much of anything else besides being near the vicinity of the training grounds. If all went according to plan, Faramir would be ready to leave with his men by the end of next week. If Faramir's half of the plan went through, then Boromir would be ready to leave with his men a fews days after that.

He was tired and had wanted a decent amount of sleep. Sighing, he stared up at the ceiling, listening to the storm rage outside. A few minutes later, he thought he heard a knock on his door, but wasn't exactly sure.

Sitting up, he listened for it again. Another knock. Faramir quickly got out of bed and went to the door.

Faramir opened the door and found himself facing Adair, one of the patrollers of the Night Watch.

"Captain Faramir, I'm sorry to wake-"

"What is it?" Faramir cut him off, wanting to get straight down to business.

"A young woman was spotted standing in the courtyard. She looks like Miss Black, and I tried calling to her, but she wouldn't respond."

Faramir quickly went back into his room and got dressed in record time. Why in the world would she be out by herself in the dead of night - in a storm no less!

x

"Do you know how long she's been out here, Adair?" Faramir asked as he made his way towards her.

"No sir, but I'm guessing for awhile due to her inappropriate attire for such weather," Adair said awkwardly.

Faramir ordered Adair to wake up Cora's maid and he hastily left. He hadn't seen her in almost two weeks. She was just standing there in only her nightdress, staring off into the distance.

"Cora!" Faramir shouted over a crash of thunder.

She didn't even move. Somehow managing to avoid any major puddles, Faramir was now standing in front of Cora. He was standing directly in her line of sight, but she was staring straight through him. She was in a far away world, lost in her memories.

"Cora," he said again, this time touching her cheek. She was soaked to the bone.

She blinked and panic surged through her.

"Faramir? What's going on? How did I get here?" She asked, confusion evident in her voice. She didn't remember how she got here.

She started to shiver uncontrollably and became weak. Faramir picked her up and made his way back to her quarters, ignoring the fact that her nightdress was plastered to her skin.

x

When Faramir came back to her room after changing into some dry clothes, he took in her appearance. Her skin was paler than normal, but besides that she looked fine. He didn't fail to notice that she didn't make eye contact with him.

"This wasn't the first time this has happened to you," he stated quietly as he moved one of the chairs closer to her bed.

She remained silent, staring down at her hands.

Faramir's hand enveloped hers.

"There's nothing to be ashamed of," he said in an effort to soothe her.

"I know," she said quietly before taking a deep breath.

"For a long time after the war, I had a series of-" Cora paused, trying to find the right word. "-episodes in which I would go to sleep in my bed and then somehow wind up in the most strangest of places. I have no recollection of how I would get there."

"How long after the war?" Faramir asked.

"Six months. Then suddenly they just stopped. I don't know what could have caused them to return," she said sadly.

Faramir squeezed her hand in reassurance, not knowing what to say.

"I'm sorry to have woken you up," she suddenly said.

He was about to protest but she wouldn't hear it.

"I know how busy you and your brother have been with preparations. You need all the rest you can get. I can see that you're tired, Faramir," she quickly added.

"You have not seen me tired, Cora. Just wait until I return from Osgiliath," he said.

Cora's breath hitched and her hold on Faramir's hand tightened. Every time someone would mention Osgiliath, a sense of foreboding would overwhelm her.

"Cora? What is wrong?" he asked.

"I'm just worried, that's all. I'm not used to letting the men do all the fighting. I hate being useless," she said honestly. There was little protest of her participating in fighting the war back home.

But here, such things would not be tolerated.

"I know, Cora. But it's for the best. You know that," he said softly. If he was going to be honest with himself, he never wanted Cora to be in harm's way.

Leaning back, she closed her eyes and slowly nodded. She was awfully tired.

"I shall let you sleep. Rest well, Cora," he said before standing up.

"You're always there when I need you. Thank you, my Captain," she mumbled.

Faramir smiled and quietly replied, "The pleasure is all mine. I shall always be there, if you so wish it. _Amin naa tualle."_

She fell asleep with a smile on her face.

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><p><strong>A.N: Feedback is always appreciated! <strong>

_Amin naa tualle = I am your servant. _

_I've always felt that Faramir would have a general/basic knowledge of the Elvish language. _


	9. Chapter 9: Minas Tirith

**If you think I'm neglecting James in Rivendell by mostly focusing on Cora and Arlena, it is partly true. His story doesn't really get set into motion until the Council Meeting and I need to focus on fleshing out Cora and Arlena's stories while James is just training. I'm thinking of having James befriend Bilbo when he arrives in Rivendell. What do you think?**  
><strong>This is a beast of a chapter, so enjoy! <strong>

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><p><em>Minas Tirith<em>

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><p>"There's a surprise for you," Faramir told Cora once she opened her door.<p>

"For me?"

Faramir nodded and motioned for her to follow him. Cora was curious, to say the least. It was eight o'clock in the evening and she had been planning on spending her night putting her writing skills to use after a bit of reading. Faramir was set to leave in three days time and she wasn't expecting to see him all that much.

Taking the book she was reading with her, she followed Faramir. He led her to one of the common rooms of the guest quarters. Well, that's what she called them in her mind at least. Although the furniture was obviously different, they reminded her of the Gryffindor common room with the large fireplace and cozy atmosphere.

"What is it, Faramir?" Cora asked as excitement built up in her.

"Go in there and look for yourself. I don't know what it is," he said as he opened the door.

Without a second thought, Cora walked into the room. The book she was carrying made a loud thud against the stone floor. In the center of the room was her school trunk. She stared at it, not moving closer to it.

"It showed up this afternoon, but I didn't have the time to take you to it until now," Faramir said quietly before picking her book up.

She nodded dumbly, still staring at her school trunk in disbelief.

"This was on top of it," Faramir said as he held out an envelope to her.

With a shaking hand, Cora took it. She traced her name in green ink on the envelope, the handwriting so familiar to her. It was from Minerva McGonagall. Opening the envelope, her suspicions were confirmed.

_Some comforts from home. _

_-MM_

Minerva McGonagall was somehow involved in her being here. She decided to tackle those thoughts for a later time. She wanted to see what was in her trunk.

"Are you alright?" Faramir asked concerned after she didn't move or speak in quite some time.

Cora blinked and looked at Faramir.

"Yes, thank you. Would you like to open my trunk with me?" she asked.

She knew the contents of her trunk would be interesting to him, but mostly she wanted to spend some time with him before he left.

"If it would please you, my Lady."

Cora blushed, "Yes it would."

"Very well then."

Cora walked over to her trunk and kneeled down before it. She ran a hand over the top, memories flooding her. Faramir sat down next to her and waited for her to open it.

"What does the L stand for?" Faramir asked when he looked at her engraved initials.

"Lily," she said quietly. Taking a deep breath, she opened her trunk.

She instantly noticed her record player and her large record collection. It was in this moment that she truly appreciated how wonderful it was to shrink items. She grabbed the record player and set it up. Faramir was completely fascinated as Frank Sinatra's voice filled the room.

Her Gryffindor scarf was folded neatly on top of some of her favorite books. Her old Firebolt was in there, and she smirked at the thought of using it here. She found several picture frames and photo albums and a wave of homesickness hit her.

"These are my parents on their wedding day," she said, handing Faramir a picture of them.

When Faramir got past the fact that they looked so _real_ and were actually _moving, _he studied the couple.

"They are quite the handsome couple. You look just like your mother," Faramir said softly.

"I've been told that often," she said smiling before showing him a picture of her cousin and siblings.

"You can keep looking through those albums if you'd like," Cora said as she went to change the record. As she was going through her records, she noticed a rectangular velvet black box that she didn't recognize.

Soon The Beatles were playing in the background and Cora quickly picked up the box. She opened it and gasped. It was her locket she got for her tenth birthday.

_They had just finished playing 'Heart and Soul' on the piano. Out of all the Black children, Cora was the one that enjoyed playing the piano the most and Remus Lupin was happy to teach her all that he knew. _

"_Excellent job, Cora," he said proudly. _

_Cora beamed, "Thank you, Uncle Remi! What are we gonna do next?"_

"_Close your eyes. I've got a present for you!" _

"_It's my birthday present isn't it? Oh what is it?" Cora asked in excitement, but when Remus remained silent, she reluctantly closed her eyes. _

"_Now no peeking!" Remus teased before bringing out a simply wrapped small box. _

_When Cora was given permission to open her eyes, she smiled brightly. She loved presents, especially from Uncle Remi. He always brought them chocolate, but it was rare when he got them presents. _

_In a matter of seconds, the wrapping paper was torn off and she opened the velvet box to find an old but beautiful gold locket. _

"_It's so pretty!" she exclaimed in glee. _

"_It's a Lupin family heirloom. Wear it with pride," he said. _

_Cora looked at him confused. _

"_You can't give this to me, I'm not a Lupin. This should be given to one of your family members," she said even though she really liked the locket. _

_Remus shook his head. _

"_I'm afraid there aren't many Lupins left. I want you to have it. You are my family, and always will be," he said. _

"_Always?" Cora asked. _

"_Always."_

"_Can you put it on for me?" Cora asked, satisfied with his response. _

_Remus chuckled, but did as she asked. _

"_Thank you, Uncle Remi. This is the best birthday present I've ever gotten!" she said hugging him. _

"_You're most certainly welcome, birthday girl," Remus said returning the hug. _

"You're crying," Faramir said, bringing Cora back to the present.

"It's my locket. It's one of my most prized possessions and I thought I'd never see it again. Can you put it on for me?" she asked, hastily wiping her tears away.

"Of course. Who gave it to you?" he asked, gently brushing her hair to the side.

Cora closed her eyes as she felt his hands brush against her neck. She was thankful he was behind her.

"My Uncle Remus gave it to me for my tenth birthday. He wasn't my real uncle, but a close family friend. While my father was rotting away in prison, Remus helped my mother raise us. He was like a second father to me," she sniffed.

"There you go," Faramir said as he put her hair back in place. Her hair was so soft and all he wanted to do was run his hands through it.

Cora turned around and thanked him. Grabbing one of the photo albums, she scanned the pages until she found the one she was looking for.

"That's him," she said, pointing to a picture of Remus looking up from his book and smirking at the camera.

"How did he get those scars?" Faramir blurted out before thinking.

"He suffered from lycanthropy. Every full moon he turned into a werewolf. He was bitten at a very young age," she said quietly.

"Werewolf?" Faramir said in shock. He had only read about them in stories.

"He was the most gentle man I have ever met in my life. It was hard to picture him turning into a wild beast once a month when he enjoyed reading, music, and chocolate. He absolutely loved chocolate," Cora said fondly.

"You keep referring to him in the past tense. What happened to him?" Faramir asked.

"He died in the war. I saw it happen," she managed to choke out before she started crying again.

Faramir cursed himself for being too nosy. Without thinking, he pulled Cora into a hug. He didn't let her go until she stopped.

"Thank you, Faramir," she said as she moved back to her original spot on the floor.

Faramir leaned over and brushed the tears away with the pad of his thumb. His face was awfully close to hers. Dangerously close, in Cora's opinion. His hands lingered for longer than was necessary, but Cora didn't really mind.

"I think I'm going to take my trunk back into my room," she said, getting up. Taking her wand out, she magically placed everything back into her trunk.

"I'll carry it back to your room," Faramir said.

"I'm a witch, Faramir. _Locomotor trunk_," her trunk hovered inches off the ground and she started to walk out of the room, her trunk floating being her.

"Cora."

"Yes, Faramir?"

"Will you see me off when I leave? It will be in the early hours of the morning, so I understand if you don't want to," Faramir asked.

Cora smiled at him.

"I was going to be there whether you had asked me or not," she said before leaving the room.

x

The next day, Cora found herself in the kitchens. She had never seen them before and wanted to know how they operated without magic. It was large in size, but it was loud, busy and crowded. People, mostly women, were bustling around the kitchen with pots and pans.

"Get out of my way, child!" someone bellowed to a young girl. She couldn't have been more than six years old. The young girl quickly got out of the way, and Cora watched her make her way to the corner of the room where a basket was.

Cora made her way to the child, curious as to why she was there. As she approached her, she realized that there was a baby in the basket.

"Hello there, my name is Cora. What's your name?" she asked the girl.

"Leanne, and this is my baby brother Athos," the girl said quietly.

"Where's your mum?" Cora asked.

"Over there, she's the one kneading the dough," Leanne said.

With a plan formulating in her mind, she approached Leanne's mother.

x

She was in the garden courtyard braiding flowers into little Leanne's hair while baby Athos set it upon himself to destroy the flowers surrounding him.

"Mama used to do this for me all the time before she had to work all the time," Leanne, aged six said sadly.

Cora smiled sadly at the small girl. Her mother, Ingrid, had to work now since her husband Norin died six months before.

"When I was young, my mum used to work all the time, too," she said, finishing the braid.

"Really?" Leanne asked, turning to face Cora. The purple flowers stood out amongst her golden hair.

"Yes, I know it's hard, Leanne, but it gets easier," Cora explained while she stopped Athos from eating a flower.

"I wish we could spend everyday with you. It's so boring in the Kitchens," Leanne said, sighing.

"Well, I'll save you from the Kitchens as many times as I can," Cora said, smiling. She found both of them to be absolutely charming, and besides she was lonely. She would need new companions when Boromir and Faramir were gone.

"Really? You would do that?" Leanne asked, sitting up straighter.

Cora nodded, "As many times as I can."

Leanne jumped up. "Oh, thank you Cora!"

Cora laughed as she watched Leanne dance around her. Faramir looked on from afar in amusement, but when Boromir found him minutes later, he had a serene look on his face.

"Just bed the witch already," Boromir said once he noticed what Faramir was staring at.

Faramir turned to stare at his older brother and punched him in the shoulder.

"Ouch, what was that for?" Boromir said, rubbing his shoulder.

"You know what," Faramir said, looking back at Cora. She was now singing as the young girl chased after some butterflies.

"Those are Norin's children," Boromir said sadly as the young girl squealed in delight.

"How do you know?" Faramir asked, looking at the blonde girl closely.

"I was the one that personally told his wife that he had died fighting for his country," Boromir said.

"Oh," the younger brother said. The two stood in silence, watching the happy scene before them.

"I've seen the way you look at her, Faramir. Just kiss her already," Boromir said, breaking the silence.

Faramir shook his head, "She's different, Boromir."

"Are you trying to tell me that you want to court her? Marry her? Have children with her?" Boromir asked incredulously.

"I'm in love, brother. I would do anything for her," Faramir said.

"Just make sure you do something before you leave," Boromir said before they left to go to the training grounds.

x

Cora entered her room after dinner with Ingrid and her two children. Ingrid was absolutely delightful and a bit lonely. Cora was certain that they would become fast friends.

Going over to her trunk that she had placed at the foot of her bed, she found a single lavender rose on top of it. She picked it up, noticing there was a note attached to it.

"Amin naa tualle," she said aloud. Where had she heard that before? She froze when she remembered where.

Faramir had said it to her last week. But what did it mean? Grabbing her wand off her desk, she muttered a translating charm. She watched as the words changed to _I am your servant._

She stared at the rose. Why a lavender rose? She knew there was a hidden meaning to the color of the rose, but she didn't know what it was. Laurel would be coming soon to ask if Cora needed anything before she went to bed. Cora heard a knock on her door and quickly granted permission to enter.

"Anything you need, Miss Cora?" Laurel asked as usual.

"Do you know what a lavender rose represents?" Cora asked.

"I think it means love at first sight and enchantment," Laurel said as she took note of the rose in Cora's hand.

"Thank you. It appears that I have an admirer, Laurel," Cora said smiling.

"Glad to be of some help, Miss. Do you know who it is?" Laurel asked.

"Yes, I think I do," Cora said vaguely. She wanted to keep this a secret. "What does an orange rose represent?"

"Enthusiasm and desire, I believe," Laurel said blushing.

"Thank you. Good night, Laurel," Cora said.

"Good night, Cora," Laurel said before she left.

_Love at first sight. Enchantment. I am your servant._

It appeared that Faramir was serious about his feelings for her. If she was going to be honest, she wanted his mind, body, and soul. She had never felt this way about someone before, and she had her fair share of boyfriends during her school days. Even in her most serious relationship, her love for him paled in comparison to her feelings for Faramir.

Well, she was going to show Faramir that she was serious about her feelings for him too. Noticing it was a bit chilly when she walked back to her room, she grabbed her cloak. Her destination was the gardens in search of an orange rose.

x

Cora decided to charm one of her dresses lavender. She was preparing to go down to the courtyard to see Faramir and his men off. She was nervous. The night before she had sent an orange rose and hopefully he knew what it meant.

Fixing the skirts of her dress, she put her cloak on and began walking down to the courtyard.

"I was so worried you wouldn't show up," Faramir said as he approached Cora.

"You had no need to worry, Captain. I wouldn't have missed this," she said softy, taking in his Ranger's outfit. She had to admit, he looked quite dashing in it.

He smiled at her and she smiled back.

"Can we go somewhere private? I'd like to talk to you," Cora asked.

"Of course," Faramir said before leading them to a private little alcove where they were out of sight from Faramir's men.

"You look lovely in lavender," Faramir said as he took in her dress.

Cora blushed, "Thank you. I was inspired by the rose you sent me last night."

Faramir stared at her, "How did you know it was me?"

"Amin naa tualle. You said that to me last week," she said quietly.

The Captain of Gondor looked embarrassed, "I thought you were asleep."

"I'm glad I wasn't. Faramir I-" she stopped and stared down at her hands. She didn't know what to say.

She felt Faramir's hand underneath her chin and he made her look up at him. She smiled at him and he never saw anything more beautiful than her.

"Can you look after this for me? It'll be something for you to remember me by," Cora said as she took off her locket and placed it in his free hand.

Faramir stared at the locket and then back at her.

"I could never forget you, Cora," he said honestly.

"I still want you to have it nonetheless. It has some minor protection spells that will protect whoever is wearing it. If something happened to you, Faramir, I don't know what I would do."

"It will be an honor to wear it, my Lady," he said as he put it around his neck.

Cora came closer to help him to hide it underneath his cloak. She smoothed his cloak down, but she didn't want to move away from him just yet.

"You'll be leaving with two of my most prized possessions, Faramir. Look after them," she said softly.

"The locket I know of, but what is the other?" he asked curiously.

"My heart," she said staring straight into his eyes.

Faramir stood there speechless. She returned his feelings. Then he remembered the orange rose he found on his bed. She must have sent it. Who else would have sent a rose representing desire and enthusiasm? He placed his hand on her cheek, and Cora leaned into his palm. Throwing caution to the wind, he kissed her. Wrapping his arms around her, he felt his world becoming complete.

He pulled back, but Cora quickly leaned in for a second kiss. Kissing him was bliss and she couldn't get enough of it.

"I will return, I promise," Faramir said before placing another kiss on her lips. He slid the ring off his finger and placed it in Cora's hand.

"This ring belonged to my mother's father, so it is very important to me. Please look after it. I know it is too big-"

Faramir stopped talking when he saw Cora shrink it and placed it on her right ring finger.

"You forget I'm a witch, Faramir," she said smugly.

"You're amazing," Faramir said before kissing her again.

"Go, my Captain. Make Gondor proud," she said.

He kissed her a final time and then left the small alcove, giving her his arm to hold onto. She walked with him to his horse and said her goodbyes. Seeing Boromir approach, she quickly moved away to give them some space.

Boromir soon joined her in watching Faramir and his men leave. The two of them stood watch until they were out of sight. Once they were gone, Boromir turned to her.

"Come Cora, let us go to the kitchens. I'm sure they can make us some breakfast."

Cora nodded and accepted his offered arm. She missed Faramir already.

* * *

><p><strong>A.N: I am in desperate need of some reviews. I'm hoping this chapter will get some, considering how long it is and how many magical things that happened in it. Please? Okay, now go review! c:<strong>


	10. Chapter 10: Edoras

**Here is this chapter! As usual I own nothing! :)**

**Arlena and Eomer goodnesss!**

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><p><em>Edoras<em>

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><p>Life was passing by as smoothly as it could, given the circumstances. Arlena avoided Grima like the plague and so far, she didn't have anymore unpleasant encounters. It was only recently that she discovered that there was some tension between Éomer and Théodred.<p>

"They won't tell us what's going on. But," Éowyn said as they were sitting in her room.

"But?" Arlena asked, arching an eyebrow.

"I have a theory," the blonde said.

"Please enlighten me, my dear."

"Éomer and Théodred are men of action. Things have become too quiet. It's putting them on edge," the older girl said.

"The calm before the storm," Arlena quietly said.

Éowyn agreed and quickly moved onto a different subject. Although Éowyn's theory had some merit, Arlena couldn't shake the feeling that the tension between the cousins had something to do with _her._

x

"She isn't returning my affections," Théodred muttered as he and Éomer were going over some maps.

"Oh?" Éomer said, feigning shock. He, of course, already knew this, but didn't want Théodred to know that.

"Well, your previous attempts at courting weren't your best moments," he then added.

"Oh come on, they weren't that bad," Théodred said defensively.

"Théodred, you compared the poor girl's hair to mud. If you weren't the prince, she probably would have slapped you," Éomer said, pushing a map aside and bringing another one to view.

Théodred remained silent, brooding over a report from one of their outposts. Nothing new to report, it said. Sighing, he pushed it away.

"It's not like you're brilliant at it either," Théodred finally said.

"That's because I just bed them. No woman has piqued my interest long enough to consider courting them," Éomer said, sort of lying. That had been the truth, until he met Arlena.

He just couldn't pursue her, but knowing she didn't return his cousin's affections sent a thrill through his body.

"She rarely teases me," Théodred said cryptically. Éomer remained silent, not knowing where his cousin was going with this.

"She teases _you_ all the time. In fact, every time I see her with you, she's always poking fun at you," Théodred continued.

"It's obnoxious, Théodred. You're not missing much. Besides, didn't she say she's never met a prince before until she arrived here? Maybe she's just intimidated by that or she doesn't know if teasing the heir to the throne a lot is appropriate," Éomer explained.

Théodred scoffed, "Arlena intimidated? There's no such thing."

Éomer paused, remembering her encounter with Grima. Not only was she intimidated, she was _afraid._ Arlena had begged him not to speak of her encounter with Grima to anyone and he respected her wishes.

"Either way Théodred, don't let her distract you," Éomer said seriously.

Too many times he had seen comrades become distracted by a woman and they would get lazy. Being a member of the Rohirrim was a hard, but honorable life. Many would return to find their beloved married off to someone else or they had been unfaithful. Broken hearts torn apart by betrayal caused many soldiers to carelessly throw their lives away. That's why Éomer stayed away from women, for the most part.

"She'd make an excellent queen," Théodred said and Éomer couldn't agree more.

x

He's been ignoring her. Arlena didn't like it one bit. Ever since her encounter with Grima, she thought that she and Éomer had an understanding of sorts between them. Clearly, she had been wrong since she watched him distance himself from her.

Théodred hadn't distanced himself from her, and if she was going to be honest, she was tired of his company. There wasn't much to Théodred. He loved his country, and his father. She felt he loved Éomer just as much, if not equally to his country and King.

But that's where it ended. His unfaltering love was extremely noble and very Gryffindor, but it seemed he had focused more on becoming the next ruler of Rohan than being a normal man.

She walked past the map room and found Éomer there, hunched over a table. Deciding she was fed up with him ignoring her, she silently entered the room. He didn't notice her presence.

"You've been ignoring me," she said quietly as she made her way towards Éomer.

He jumped in his chair, wondering how she was so stealthy.

"How'd you learn to move so silently?" he asked, completely ignoring her statement.

She stared at him for a while before answering.

"During the war, stealth was essential to survival. In or out of school, it didn't matter. If you were caught, you were tortured or worse," she said quietly.

He sat there in silence, not expecting that sort of answer. He would have figured it was so she could pull a prank on her twin brother or something more innocent like that. He often forgot that she fought in a war.

"Did you ever get caught?" he asked.

"Yes."

Standing up from his chair, he moved to put the maps away. He had been staring at them for hours to the point where he was sick of them.

He could feel Arlena's eyes follow him as he returned the maps to their original places. He knew she wouldn't leave until she got an answer out of him.

"Yes, I have been," he finally said, sliding the last map onto the shelf.

"Why?" She immediately asked as he turned to face her.

She looked hurt by this and he instantly regretted making the decision to ignore her in the first place. He had distanced himself for Théodred's sake in hopes she would maybe pay more attention to his cousin. In reality, it did the complete opposite.

"I don't know. At the time I thought I had a good reason to, but I can't remember it anymore," he said quietly. He didn't want to tell her the truth. Not yet, at least.

She nodded silently, knowing that was all she was going to get out of him. She walked up closer to him and squeezed his hand.

"Please don't ignore me anymore," she said before leaving the room.

Éomer sighed and stared down at his hand. He could have sworn he still felt her warm hand on hers.

He cursed and stormed out of the room in frustration.

x

"What were you two talking about that caused both of you to choke on your soup?" Éomer asked Éowyn a few hours after his encounter with Arlena. Even though that incident happened ages ago, it wouldn't leave him alone.

Éowyn placed her basket on a table and turned to stare at her brother in disbelief.

"Why in Helm's name are you asking me about this _now_? It happened ages ago!" she began to sort through her basket full of vegetables.

"What were you talking about?" he asked again.

"It's really none of your business," she said, still not answering him. He was growing frustrated with her.

"My dear sister, just tell me!" he was practically begging and she knew it.

"A man."

"What?" Éomer asked confused.

"That's what we were talking about," Éowyn said, tossing a nasty looking carrot to the side. It was rotten.

"Who?"

"I'm not at liberty to say," Éowyn said before taking her basket to the kitchens.

Éomer was left with more questions than he started with.

x

_She was walking in a forest. The trees were ancient and there was a sort of magic humming within them. They shifted uneasily as Arlena walked past them. She was desperately searching for someone. _

_She approached a clearing in the forest and discovered she was not alone. The old man had long white hair as well as a long beard. His clothes were white and even the walking stick he had was white. He was a stark contrast to the dark colors of the forest. _

"_Where is my King?" she asked him, pleading. Her brown eyes searched his icy grey eyes for any clue. _

"_I am sad to say, my Queen," his voice was deep, almost like the rumbling of thunder in the distance. "That I do not know where your beloved King is," he looked truly sad but Arlena found no comfort in this. _

"_Oh," she said brokenly before her knees buckled underneath her. Tears welled up in her eyes but she fought to keep them from falling. _

"_Do not lose hope, my Lady. He shall return to you soon," the old man said. She looked into his eyes and found some comfort in them. _

_She nodded, smiling slowly at him. She heard a twig snap in the forest behind her. _

Arlena woke up with a look of pure confusion on her face. What in heaven's name did she just dream about? This was different from any dream she had ever had before. It felt too real to her. She had experienced everything so clearly; from the feel of the grass beneath her knees to the rustling of the trees.

Who was this King she was desperately looking for and why was he so important to her?

She abruptly sat up in bed when she remembered the old man had called her Queen. Getting out of bed, she knew her questions would not be answered anytime soon.

x

"Take care of yourself, Éomer," she quietly said to him as he finished saddling his horse up. He was setting out to go visit one of the many outposts of Edoras. He would be gone for only a couple of days, a week at the most. The thought of him being away saddened Arlena more than she expected.

"I shan't be gone for long," he quietly reminded her. They were currently alone in the stable, which was a rare occurrence.

"I know," she whispered. "But I shall miss you nonetheless."

Turning away from him, she picked up a single piece of straw. Pulling out her wand, she transfigured it into a bluebell. She had always admired the purple little flower. Adding an anti-crumple and wilt charm, she was satisfied with her work.

She turned back to him, the flower in her hand. He stared at the small flower with a raised eyebrow.

"May I?" she shyly asked. Realizing her intention, Éomer remained silent but nodded his consent. The gesture was innocent enough in his opinion. No harm could really come from it.

Carefully approaching him, she magically attached the flower to the shoulder buckle of his armor. She gently petted the petals of the flower for a last time before slowly moving her hand away from him. His hand caught hers though.

"I hope you don't mind such a feminine addition to your armor," she said quietly.

He chuckled softly, running his thumb over her knuckles. The contact sent a thrill through the witch.

"No, I don't in the least," he said and Arlena inwardly let out a sigh of relief.

Summoning up her Gryffindor courage, she gently placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Until we meet again," she said, pulling away from him slightly.

With his other hand he gently cupped her face. He ran a thumb over her cheek before reluctantly moving away from her.

"Aye, and what a lovely reunion it will be," he said before mounting his horse.

Arlena stood alone and watched him depart with an alarmingly heavy heart. She quickly returned to her room to prepare for her weekly rounds with Éowyn to tend to the village sick.

* * *

><p><strong>A.N: Feedback is appreciated! Next chapter will definitely feature James! :)<strong>


	11. Chapter 11: Rivendell & Osgiliath

**Here's the next chapter, it's a lengthy one so enjoy!  
>As usual, I own nothing. <strong>

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><p><em>Rivendell, Osgiliath &amp; Minas Tirith<em>

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><p>James surprisingly had another day to himself. When Beinion told him yesterday after training that he had the next day off, James didn't question it. However, he did wonder what Beinion did on his days off. Sometimes he saw his master walking around in the gardens by himself, lost in thought.<p>

That was what James was doing himself. He had found an ornately carved wooden bench and decided to take a seat in the middle of it. To his utter amazement, it didn't feel uncomfortable. The things Elves were capable of never ceased to amaze him. His astonishment was interrupted by a voice.

"Begging your pardon, young wizard. Would you mind scooting over and let an old hobbit join you? I find this to be the best thinking place in all of Rivendell," Bilbo Baggins said.

James smiled and scooted over on the bench. Old Bilbo had a red leather bound book with him as well as a pipe. He had never really talked to the hobbit before, but from what he had been told, Bilbo was quite the interesting character.

"I don't think we've been properly introduced, I'm James Black," the wizard said.

The hobbit let out an undignified snort, "I know who you are lad. I suspect you know who I am as well."

Bilbo gave an altogether amused look at the young wizard and James chuckled softly. He knew he would get along well with this hobbit.

"Indeed I do, Mr. Baggins. I just thought it was the proper thing to do."

"Mr. Baggins was my father. Please, just call me Bilbo. It's nice to know that there are those that still have decent manners."

"I was given the good fortune of being raised to treat everyone equally," James said, a small smile flitting across his face.

"Aye, that is a treasured gift, indeed. Few seem to realize its value these days. Everyone is so narrow minded. I won't deny that I have been one of those people, but I had my eyes opened, so to speak. But you were not raised in this world, though," Bilbo said shrewdly.

"No, I was not. I belong to an entirely different universe. I have a purpose here, of that I am certain. I feel I shall find out what soon enough," James said quietly.

"Ah, yes. Elrond's secret council meeting," Bilbo said, pulling out his pipe and began to prepare it.

James arched an eyebrow, "If it's supposed to be a secret, then why do so many people know about it?"

Bilbo chuckled, "I believe, Mr. Black, that is because all of the Elves you know shall be in attendance of it. All those that you see daily are in close confidence to Elrond. That is no mere coincidence, my boy," the hobbit said, sticking his pipe in his mouth.

James nodded, realizing that it made sense.

"Do you know who's all going to be there and what's it actually about?" he then asked.

Bilbo shrugged, "I asked Elrond that myself when I was informed that such a meeting shall occur. Would you like to know what he told me?"

"Of course," James said, his curiosity getting the best of him.

"He said to me, '_I myself do not know who shall be in attendance. I only know that those of all races shall seek my counsel nearly around the same time, and I shall aid them in any way that I can.' _Extremely vague, if you ask me, but I suppose that was Elrond's intention," Bilbo sighed, a ring of smoke emanating from his pipe.

He watched James slump sightly in his seat, obviously disappointed by the vague answer.

"You crave adventure, don't you lad?" Bilbo asked knowingly.

James nodded mutely in reply. His training had been progressing very well, but he was beginning to wonder if he would put his new found skills to _actual_ use.

"To crave for such a thing is not unusual for one of the Big People. For that is what you are, correct?"

"Yes, apparently that is how I differ from all of the other wizards in Middle Earth. I am from the race of Men," James said slowly.

Bilbo just hummed in response, appearing to be lost in thought. The pair remained silent, taking in their surroundings.

"It is most unusual for a hobbit to crave adventure, or to be overly curious," the hobbit said, breaking the silence.

"Is that true?" James asked in surprise.

"Aye, according to most of the Shire folk, I am most unusual. Crazy, even," Bilbo smiled mischievously at James, which caused the wizard to wonder what Bilbo had done in his life.

"Tell me more about hobbits, Bilbo," James asked.

"It's about time! I could tell the minute I sat down next to you that you wanted to know more about my kind," Bilbo said smugly.

He then began to happily explain to James about the Shire and all of its people. Bilbo was rather fond about talking about his heir, Frodo. The elderly hobbit had adopted him and apparently the younger hobbit had inherited his sense for adventure. James was slightly saddened by the prospect that he would never meet the current owner of Bag End. Bilbo seemed awfully proud of him.

"Here lad, have a look at this," Bilbo said, handing over to him the red leather book.

James quietly whispered the title of Bilbo's book, admiring the beautiful script. Turning the page, he realized Bilbo had put his heart and soul into this book. James felt honored to look at it.

"It's not completely finished, but it shall be soon. I can feel it," Bilbo said once James found a detailed map of the Shire.

"This is absolutely excellent, Bilbo," James said in awe.

"Thank you, my boy. The compliment means a lot to me," the elderly hobbit said.

As he continued to look through Bilbo's book, James began to appreciate this new world he was in even more. Although there was hushed talk about evil approaching, James fell in love with all of the good things of Middle Earth.

James finally began to understand his purpose here. Whatever this evil was, James would gladly fight against it. He wouldn't allow all of these good people to suffer if he knew he could do something about it.

xxx

It was not even three days after Boromir left that Cora began to feel that something wasn't right. She wasn't exactly sure what the reason was behind these uneasy feelings, but they were there nonetheless. The pit of her stomach was almost constantly formed in a knot.

Almost immediately after Faramir's departure, Cora had begun to practice in the training grounds. Later on she would thank herself for it. Not only did she practice magic, but also archery and her swordsmanship.

The first time Boromir saw her practicing, she defiantly dared him to _try_ and stop her, but he simply corrected her archer's stance and let her continue. Knowing she had Boromir's support, she enlisted the help of Lieutenant Adair. He was an excellent teacher once he warmed up to the idea of a woman being allowed to fight.

It was on the third day since Boromir left that Lieutenant Adair told her what was wrong.

"Look upon Osgiliath, Miss Cora," he said. They were at his post, which had a fantastic view of the surrounding lands.

"What am I supposed to see?" she asked, confused.

"Nazgul," he said shakily.

"There are things flying over the city. Are those-"

"Yes."

She wondered what was so bad about them. She had never heard of them before.

"What can be done?" she asked. Whatever those things were, they were harming the men. The faces of Faramir and Boromir quickly entered her mind.

"Nothing, Miss," he said, sounding defeated.

She narrowed her eyes. Nothing? No, _she_ could do something. Turning on the spot, she apparated to her room.

She quickly conjured an outfit that was a combination of Faramir and Boromir's outfits. Heading over to her school trunk, she quickly opened it. Her trunk held many things, most of which she didn't know how they would be useful to her. Until now, that is.

She quickly pulled out a dagger. It was Goblin made - from her world. Rubies and sapphires decorated the hilt. It was a beautiful yet deadly weapon and now Cora finally had a purpose for it. She also took out her broom. A horse would be too slow.

Grabbing her bow and arrows along with her sword, she hastily got herself ready. With a loud crack, she apparated right in front of the White Tree.

Denethor had stormed out when he had heard the loud crack.

"What is going on? What are _you_ doing?" he boomed, staring at her wildly. Her relationship with Denethor was one of begrudging tolerance. She assumed that if he had no sons, he would never had let her remain as a guest.

Tightening her grip on her broom, she addressed the Steward with no emotion.

"I'm going to salvage what is left of the men at Osgiliath."

Turning from the Steward she ran towards the drop off. She mounted the broom just as she approached the edge. She was thankful that she wasn't afraid of heights and that her broom automatically had an altitude charm so she wouldn't be affected by the dramatic changes in elevation.

She shot up into the air and with a speed not fathomable to those of Gondor, she approached Osgiliath.

x

When she was only a mile away from the ruined city, she felt pure dread and absolute terror. Her first encounter with the Nazgul had arrived.

The beast was absolutely foul and massive in size. Its rider wasn't any better. A new wave of fear coursed through her in addition to the dread. She withdrew her wand from its special holster and screamed two words that seemed the most natural in such a situation.

"Expecto Patronum!" She yelled, using a new memory to produce the spell. A massive beam of white light emitted from her wand and she herself was almost blinded by the light. She didn't falter.

Either the rider or beast shrieked and she felt the fear and dread lessen. It had flown away. She didn't linger long, knowing she had some lives to potentially save. She hoped she wasn't too late.

x

All the men she encountered so far in the city were either dead or wounded so badly that she knew trying to portkey them to the House of Healing would only finish them off. She was reluctant to admit it, but she was starting to believe that her being here was a foolish thing to do. Cora had yet to see either Faramir and Boromir and she was beginning to think the worst.

Nothing prepared her however for what appeared to be the only things left alive in Osgiliath. She noticed that there was a mix of two types. One type was taller while the other were shorter. Both were horribly deformed and altogether disgusting. Once she got over her revulsion though, she was ready to fight them.

It wasn't her sword or her wand that she instinctively grabbed for. She grabbed her dagger. It felt like as if it was an extension of her hand, much like how her wand felt when she was dueling someone.

She managed to stab one of the smaller ugly things and something in her mind told her that it was a goblin. And as the blood of one of the larger creatures splattered all over her due to her chopping its arm off, she wondered if the Orc blood would leave stains on her body. It looked different than human blood. She never figured out why she somehow instinctively knew the names of these foul creatures.

The ruined city was a maze and the narrow streets made her even more uncomfortable. She had no knowledge of the layout of the city, she was merely relying on instinct. All the while, Cora continued fighting her way through.

With her free hand, she wordlessly used a knockback jinx on an approaching group of Orcs. Something told her she needed to get towards the bridge. Casting a shield around her, she watched in amusement as several goblin and orcs shrieked in pain when they tried attacking her. Amongst the chaos, she saw a bridge. More importantly, she saw figures that looked more human.

Knowing she couldn't keep this shield up forever, she quickly apparated near the bridge. She practically collided into the back of an Orc, but she quickly stabbed it before it got the chance to attack her.

x

Only four men were left and that didn't include the sons of the Steward. Only six survivors, that shouldn't have happened. They underestimated their enemies numbers.

"Get to the bridge!" Boromir yelled as he started to retreat back. He saw his brother take down an orc and quickly made his way towards the bridge.

They needed a miracle, Boromir thought.

x

She couldn't get close enough to the bridge. There must have been hundreds, no thousands of these goblins and orcs running around the city. She was being overwhelmed and that thought crashed down on her when she somehow managed to be cornered in a narrow alleyway.

If she had no magical abilities, she would have been doomed. But alas, she was a witch. She still had to weigh out her options carefully, because what she planned on doing was still risky.

"Bombarda maxima!" She screamed, her wand aiming at the archway that covered the entrance to the alleyway.

She quickly ducked down and cast the strongest protective shield she knew. Then everything got dark as rocks of all shapes and sizes were strewn everywhere.

x

No one had ever seen anything like that before and caused everyone, friend and foe, to stop in their tracks. An entire wall was completely destroyed and several of the enemy were buried underneath it.

What emerged out of the dust shocked everyone to their core. It was Cora Black, finishing off unsuspecting orcs and goblins left and right.

"What are you doing here?" Faramir yelled at her, anger clearly written on his face.

Ignoring him, she quickly addressed Boromir, "Are you all that's left?"

"Yes, we need to get out of here and fast!" Boromir shouted back.

An idea formed into her head. If she destroyed the bridge, then that would give them enough time to escape.

"Jump into the river," she said to the remaining soldiers.

When they didn't move, she rounded on them, "I said jump into the river. NOW MOVE!"

She placed floating charms on each of them to ensure they wouldn't sink with their armor. Faramir and Boromir were still fighting. She called out to them and they retreated. Casting a shield, she managed to stop the enemy from coming any closer for the time being.

"Follow your men, Boromir. You too, Faramir," she ordered.

"What?" they both said. They noticed that their men were preparing themselves to jump into the river.

Turning back to her, Boromir stared at her wildly, "Are you mad?"

Looking rather calm amidst all of this chaos she simply responded, "No I'm saving our lives. Now are you going to jump into that river or am I going to have to force you into it?"

Without another thought, Boromir approached his men and was the first one to jump into the river. His men dutifully followed. Only Cora and Faramir were left on the bridge.

"I'm not going without you," Faramir said stubbornly.

Cora nodded, placing her dagger and wand back into their proper locations. Faramir did the same. Just as they were about to jump, Faramir quickly grabbed her hand. Both of them jumped into the icy cold depths of the river. With the floating charms Cora had placed on them, the task of treading water did not become a major issue. They only had to rely on the current of the river to pull them along.

As soon as Faramir surfaced, he swam his way over to Cora and pulled her close to him. He had an arm around her waist and she had an arm slung around his neck. Cora noticed that Boromir had found a piece of driftwood and he and the remaining men were using it as an additional flotation device.

Her shield on the bridge broke and orcs and goblins came rushing onto the bridge. She knew now was the time to act or else they were doomed. Pulling out her wand, she aimed towards the bridge.

Faramir watched her movements in confusion. Then it dawned on him.

"Cora, what are you doing?"

She tightened her grip around Faramir's neck. Quickly looking into his eyes, she told him to not let go of her. She felt his grip on her tighten. With an approving nod, she turned back towards the bridge.

Summoning her magic deep within her, she let it build up. Then for the second time that day she screamed, "Bombarda maxima!"

The force of this explosion was even greater than the last. The bridge was utterly destroyed as well as a nice amount of goblins and orcs.

x

"We need to figure out how we're going to get back to the city," Boromir said once they returned to land a great deal of a distance away from Osgiliath.

"I've got that covered as well," Cora said, ignoring a dull pain in her side. She would worry about injuries once they were all safe.

"How?" Faramir asked incredulously.

"I can have you all back in the White City within minutes," she said quietly.

When all of them men stared at her in disbelief, she sighed.

"Haven't I apparated in front of any of you before?"

When she got no response, she shrugged. "Oh, poor Lieutenant Adair. I must have scared the wits out of him."

She told them that she would take them all one at a time. Boromir and Faramir insisted that their men be taken first, and Cora agreed. Telling each of them to not let go, she managed to safely apparate the men to the courtyard.

"I can take both of you at once," she said, offering an arm to both men. They hesitantly accepted and with reassurances from Cora, they were ready. With a loud crack, they returned to Minas Tirith.

x

The two men continued to soldier on, adamant on seeing their father. Cora, however, stopped in her tracks when the dull ache in her side flared up into excruciating pain. Doubling over in pain, her left hand instinctively went to her right side. What she saw made her eyes widen in fear. Her hand was covered in blood. She couldn't remember when she had been wounded, but clearly she had been.

"Faramir!" she cried out as her knees buckled underneath her. She fell to the floor with a clatter.

Hearing her cry, both men turned around to see Cora attempting to stand up again but she was failing miserably. All Faramir saw was the pain and fear clearly etched onto her face. Rushing towards her, he quickly discovered her source of pain.

The two brothers exchanged worried looks. She saw the exchange and started to tremble in fear. She still wasn't familiar with the healing methods of Middle Earth and that in itself had her worried.

"Keep applying pressure to it," Faramir said gently. She nodded dumbly and did as she was told.

She inhaled sharply as she applied pressure. Faramir cradled her face in the palm of his hand. Their eyes locked and for a brief second the pain faded away.

Boromir broke the moment, "She needs to go to the House of Healing."

Faramir gave a brief nod to his brother before carefully picking the witch up. He started going towards the House of Healing when Boromir stopped him.

"What about Father?"

Faramir turned to look at his older brother, "You go to him, I shall join you later."

Boromir nodded before heading in the opposite direction.

"I'm scared, Faramir," Cora said quietly.

Faramir tightened his grip on her, but said nothing. He was tense so Cora remained silent, trying to keep her fear under control. Was he mad at her? She hoped not.

They soon reached the House of Healing and Faramir barked several orders to the Healers, and they were scrambling around preparing to take care of Cora. One of the Healers told him to place Cora on one of the empty cots.

"Faramir, what's going on?" Cora asked, confusion evident in her voice. She didn't know anyone here and that made her even more nervous.

"Do not worry, Cora. You're in capable hands," Faramir said quietly as several Healers flocked towards the wounded witch. He slowly started to back away.

"I'll check on you later."

Cora's eyes widened in fear, "Don't you dare leave me, Faramir! Please don't! FARAMIR!"

She began to struggle against the Healers. She _needed_ him here. She cried out for him again.

Faramir's heart broke into tiny pieces the farther he went away from her. He tried to ignore her cries but to no avail.

"Duty before love," he murmured.

It didn't make him feel any better though.

* * *

><p><strong>A.N: Feedback is always appreciated as they always keep me going! So review please!<strong>


	12. Chapter 12: The HoH & Rivendell

**Here's the next chapter! I hope you enjoy this one. As usual I own nothing!  
>Thanks to all those lovely people who have reviewed! It means so much to me! :D<strong>

Helpful pronunciations & hints:  
><em>Bellethiel - (Behl-eth-ee-ell)<br>Elleth- female elf  
>Ellith - female elves<em>

* * *

><p><em>The Houses of Healing &amp; Rivendell<em>

* * *

><p>She had a cold look in her eyes. It seemed unforgiving, Boromir thought. When she noticed him however, her expression softened.<p>

"I am glad to see you are awake, Cora," Boromir said as he approached her bed. She noticed he was in traveling clothes.

She smiled softly at him and attempted to get into a sitting position but her face scrunched up in pain and she froze in place. She gently lowered herself back to her previous position. With an alarmed look, Boromir tried to seek out a Healer, but Cora told him not to. The cold look entered her eyes again and he wondered what had put that look in her eyes. She bluntly told him that she had refused any pain relievers from the Healers.

"I asked for a strap of leather to bite down on. Apparently I passed out from the pain when they were nearly finished with sewing me up," she said quietly.

He stood in awe, a newfound respect forming for her. Even _he_ would take advantage of pain relievers if they were available to him.

"You certainly are an incredible woman," he said softly.

Cora blushed, but said nothing. Changing the subject she asked, "Where are you traveling to, Boromir?"

"To Rivendell. I am going to seek Lord Elrond's council on the dreams my brother and I have had," he explained, taking a seat next to her cot.

"My brother James is there. If you see him, tell him that I am well," she ignored his arched eyebrow and continued on. "You and James would get along very well, I should think," she said.

He smiled and told her he would do so. She stared him in the eye for a few seconds before he felt a warm tingling sensation in his spine.

Keeping the alarm out of his voice surprisingly well, he asked what she did to him.

"Why do you think its me?" she asked innocently. When he stared at her nonplussed, she sighed.

"I may have placed a few protection spells on you," she said guiltily.

"Where's your wand?"

He watched her expression darken, "Faramir took it. He forgets that I don't necessarily need a wand to perform magic."

"Then why do you have a wand?"

"It makes it easier to perform spells. It takes less energy to cast a spell with a wand than without one."

Boromir nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face. He then cleared his throat, uttering words she never expected to hear from him.

"Thank you, Cora. For helping us out in Osgiliath," he said sheepishly.

She smiled widely at him and reached out for his hand. She squeezed his hand reassuringly.

"I take care of my people, Boromir," she said smiling.

"_Your people_? You sound like a ruler," he chuckled.

She shrugged, "From my family to friends to servants to soldiers, I care for them all."

He smiled warmly, thinking of the times she had shown kindness to those who didn't necessarily deserve it. She would in fact make a great leader.

"Faramir hasn't visited me yet," she said quietly.

Boromir noticed she looked a little angry at this. He wouldn't blame her really. He knew Faramir had enough spare time to visit her; especially with the task he was doing.

"With my departure, the task of informing the families of those who had fallen now solely rests upon Faramir," he solemnly explained.

Cora felt ashamed. Of course he would be extremely busy. It had only been a day and a half since they had returned. And with so few survivors, she should have known better to expect him to have him spend hours with her.

"But I am surprised he hasn't visited you yet. Informing the families is never a pleasant experience and any distraction, however small, is always welcomed," he said.

Cora's face was unreadable as the pair remained silent.

"I hope I can leave here soon," Cora said suddenly. "I will get so bored just sitting here. I'm sure Ingrid and her children shall be able to visit, but that won't entirely consume my time. I want my sketchbook and some parchment."

"I'll make sure you get those things," Boromir said, getting up his seat.

"When are you returning?" she asked.

"I don't know, Cora," he said quietly.

"In that case, I request a hug from you, Captain of the White Tower," she said smiling as she opened her arms wide.

He smiled back and hugged her carefully, making sure he didn't hurt her.

"You're like the older brother I never had. Please come back soon," she confessed.

His smile widened, "And you're the little sister I never had. Please be good while I'm gone."

"I'll do my best."

He laughed before giving a wave. He sauntered out of the Houses of Healing, leaving many of the younger Healers in a tizzy. Cora noticed with a smirk that even some of the older Healers appeared to be affected by his presence. Rolling her eyes, she settled herself down for a nap.

x

She heard them whisper about her. Apparently they considered her actions at Osgiliath scandalous. Her nose would scrunch up in distaste and she had to contain herself from calling them out. She wanted to tell them that if it wasn't for her, their beloved sons of the Steward would be history. They all praised Boromir and Faramir to the high heavens. Not that she could blame them really, she begrudgingly found herself agreeing with what they said of them.

"Captain Boromir is so strong and courageous," she heard one of the younger healers say.

"Aye, and Captain Faramir is so gentle," another said.

"They're both _so_ handsome!"

She agreed with every single thing they said of the two brothers, except when it came to their association with her.

"I've heard that she trains with the soldiers. A _woman_ fighting?"

"She's a _witch. _Do you think she's got them under_ some spell?" _a Healer said when she and another were folding clean bandages.

"I heard Captain Faramir took her wand away, so she's completely harmless," the other said.

In any case, most of them refused to look her in the eye, as if she would cast a spell on them. She always wanted to yell out that she didn't _need_ a wand _or_ eye contact to cast a spell, but she kept that to herself. She was fine with them being suspicious of her, considering they were an extremely superstitious bunch. To have them fear her was not what she needed.

With a sigh, she shifted on her cot. It wasn't that comfortable. In fact, she knew that there were rooms that had nice beds in them. She wondered why she hadn't been moved to one of them. These cots were meant for temporary use.

She shook those thoughts away and shifted in the cot once more. Cora was getting antsy and it was her third day at the Houses of Healing. She allowed one of the Healers to change her bandages and the Healer said Cora was allowed to walk around the gardens as long as she didn't overexert herself.

Cora said her thanks to the Healer as she left. Once she was gone, she smiled to herself. She slowly got out of bed, testing herself. The pain was still there, but Cora had used a minor numbing spell to dull it. On the chair next to her cot she found her blue silk robe and managed to put it on. She was ready to explore the famed gardens of the Houses of Healing.

x

Faramir found her in the gardens hours later. She was making herself a crown of flowers. A light breeze kept sweeping strands of hair into her face and she kept swiping them to the side only for them to be swept back. He smiled, in awe of the fact that she could go back to such an innocent and child-like activity. Although he had been upset that she had put herself in harm's way, he couldn't deny she fought with a grace few possessed. She was intimidating to say the least.

"Are you going to keep staring at me?" Cora said suddenly staring at him. She had a small smile on her face.

He shook his head and joined her on the garden bench. She continued on making her crown of flowers. He sat there watching her work. Then one of his hands enveloped hers and she immediately stopped. The crown of flowers fell to their feet. She looked at him confused.

"What's wrong?" she asked quietly.

He shook his head, "Nothing's wrong, Cora."

She smiled, glad that he wasn't upset with her. He continued on staring at her and the smile slowly faded and the confusion resurfaced.

"Faramir?"

Both of his hands cupped her face, the pads of his thumbs stroking her cheekbones. Her eyes fluttered shut, relishing the sensation.

"Open your eyes, Cora. Let me see those beautiful eyes," Faramir whispered.

She opened them and found his face was mere inches away from hers. She saw his eyes flicker to her lips and she waited in anticipation. He didn't keep her waiting long, his warm lips pressed against hers. She sighed happily. She had been waiting to be this close to him for weeks.

They continued kissing on the garden bench, taking their sweet time. The thought of being seen flitted across Cora's mind, but since Faramir had been the one to kiss her, she figured he didn't care.

What she didn't know was that he had Lieutenant Adair standing guard at the entrance to the gardens and on his orders was told to not permit anyone entrance. Faramir knew that his father wouldn't approve of him seeing Cora. He needed to keep things a secret.

Faramir broke a kiss, his breathing ragged. He leaned his forehead against Cora's and waited for his heartbeat to slow. When it did, he spoke.

"Would you like to know what Gandalf said to me?" he said suddenly.

Her eyebrows scrunched up in confusion, wondering what he was talking about. That was when she remembered.

"_Remember what I said, Faramir," Gandalf said before he promptly left._

"That was when I first arrived. What did he tell you?" she asked now curious.

"_Keep her safe, Faramir. She's far more precious than all of the riches of this world._That's what he told me, Cora. At first I didn't understand what he meant, but I do now," he said.

She stared at him, the confusion evident on her face. What had Gandalf meant? Faramir held her hands between his and she waited for him to continue.

"I only took the first part of what he said to heart. I inwardly vowed to keep you safe, Cora. When I saw you emerge from the rubble in Osgiliath, I didn't understand why I was so terrified. But I understand. Oh how I understand now!" he said.

"What do you understand, Faramir?" she asked, not understanding what _he_ was trying to say.

"Gandalf was _right._ You _are_ more precious than all of the riches of this world. You have _enchanted _me, my lady. And you didn't even use any of your magic to do so," he said quietly.

Cora laughed softly at his pun, but her eyes were filled with tears. Happy ones. She couldn't believe what he was saying to her. She was in heaven.

"Now, I know this has been implied, but I thought I would make an honorable woman out of you," he joked. "Will you allow me the honor of courting you?"

She smiled widely as tears streamed down her face, "Of course you can, my dear Captain. But I fear you are at a loss of making me an honorable woman."

He wiped away the tears with the pads of his thumb, "Oh? Why's that?"

"The things I could do to you would make your toes curl," she said in a lowered voice.

"In pain or pleasure?" he asked.

She smirked at him, "Both."

He laughed before kissing her again. She happily leaned into the kiss before breathing in sharply and yelping in pain. Faramir looked at her in alarm as she clutched her side.

"Damn my numbing spell must have worn off," she said before closing her eyes. Seconds later she opened her eyes and her face was clear of all evidence that she had been in pain.

"Are you alright?" he asked cautiously, hesitant to touch her again.

"I'm fine, Faramir. The Healers say my wound is healing nicely. Although they sadly tell me that I will have a scar," she made a face and rolled her eyes.

"They think that would be the end of the world to me. It's just another scar to add to the list of the many I already have," she said further explaining.

He stared at her and began to wonder where all her other scars were.

"One day I'll let you see all of them, my sweet Ranger," she said, winking at him.

He blushed and cleared his throat. She giggled, loving how she wound him up. The pair remained silent, basking in each other's company. Cora began to wonder what it would be like to be officially courted by Faramir. Then everything came crashing down upon her.

"Your father," she whispered.

He turned to look at her and she saw the sad look in his eyes. She knew what was coming.

"My father's opinion of you has changed immensely from what it originally was. When Boromir and I told him that it was because of you that we were alive, he began to see you in a more favorable light. Once you are fully healed, he would like to hold a feast in your honor," he said quietly.

"But?" Cora asked knowing that there was more he had to say. Faramir sighed.

"But even though his opinion of you has changed immensely, I still don't think he would approve of me courting you just yet," he continued.

He watched the sad look enter Cora's eyes.

"So we will have to carry on in secret," she said sadly.

"For the time being, my love. I promise you this," Faramir said.

She stared at him and saw how honest he was being with her. She nodded slowly.

"And in the time being, I shall charm the Steward into liking me," she said then she realized what she had said.

"Not with my magic, of course. I shall use my wit and my non-magical charm," she quickly added.

Faramir kissed her forehead, "I knew what you meant, my dear."

He picked up the crown of flowers from the ground and gave it back to her. He then stood up from the garden bench and helped her stand up.

"Let me escort you back to your room," he said quietly.

She nodded before letting him lead the way. She gave Lieutenant Adair a strange look when they passed him. Upon seeing this, Faramir chuckled softly.

"To ensure we weren't interrupted," he said mischievously. Cora blushed.

"Which room is yours?" he then asked when they entered the complex.

"I don't have a room," she said quietly.

Faramir stopped walking suddenly. He turned to look at her.

"What do you mean you don't _have_ a room?" his voice was eerily calm.

"Just exactly what I said, I don't have one. I have a cot," she said cautiously. She didn't know if she liked that tone of voice or not.

Just then, one of the elderly Healers walked past them, carrying a bundle of towels.

"Healer Elsbeth, Miss Black just informed me that she does not have a room. What is the meaning of this?" he barked at the elderly woman.

She stopped in her tracks and stared wildly at him.

"Begging your pardon, Captain, but I am not sure as to why-" she began to say.

Faramir cut her off, "You lie. I know you are the one in charge of patient's accommodations. See to it that Miss Black has a room of her own. One that overlooks the gardens would do nicely."

Cora watched in awe as she witnessed the elderly woman bustle away in a state. A triumphant smirk then graced her features when she disappeared out of sight.

"Should I be concerned about that smirk?" Faramir asked as he continued walking at a leisurely pace.

"You have given me an advantage over them, m'lord," she murmured distractedly as they passed more Healers. They all bobbed quick curtsies when they saw him.

"Oh?"

"Now when I hear them whisper things about me, I can just threaten them that I will tell their beloved Lord Faramir," she said with a devilish smile on her face.

Cora noticed that amongst the higher levels of society they referred to the Steward's sons as Captains, but those of the lower rungs of society referred to them as Lords. She was always confused as to what she should call them when she was with them in public.

"And pray tell, what do they say about you?" Faramir asked, his voice that same eerie quiet.

Cora paused, debating whether she wanted to tell him the truth or not. She didn't want to the Healers to have a reason to hate her. If she told him what they actually thought of her, he would retaliate. Then the Healers wouldn't talk in front of her at all, and she had learned quite a lot of things when they weren't talking about her.

"It's just idle gossip. More annoying than harmful. I just like seeing them in a tizzy, that's all," she said ending the discussion there.

He nodded slowly, "Very well then. If the idle gossip becomes far more than that, you'll let me know," he said.

It was more of an order than a request. She told him she would do so. Then Healer Elsbeth returned and told them that Cora's room was now ready.

xxx

James had taken to eating dinner with the twins and Glandur now. He often found himself laughing hysterically with them and they treated him as an equal. Most treated him as a human boy.

"So James, have there been any ellith that have caught your eye?" Elladan asked one dinner.

James blushed, his face becoming beet red.

"Ah, so there is someone! You have to tell us now," Elrohir said, urging the wizard on.

James shook his head, refusing to tell them. There was in fact an elleth that had caught his eye, but he didn't even know her name.

"He met her in the forest earlier today," Glandur said suddenly.

James glared daggers at him. They had been practicing the art of tracking when they found her at a small stream. She was younger than most, that was all James knew. She had long brown hair and the most beautiful green eyes that he had ever seen. He was completely smitten by her.

But before he got to talk to her, she quickly picked up her basket and ran away.

"Oh, is that so? Does she have a name?" Elladan asked.

"I never got the chance to talk to her," James said sighing. He looked at the entrance to the hall and he froze in his seat. There she was, in all of her beauty.

"That's her," James said quietly.

Glandur, Elrohir and Elladan all suddenly followed his line of sight. The elleth must have felt all of them staring at her because she blushed rather prettily and continued walking.

"That's Bellethiel," Elladan said quietly.

"A good choice, my friend," Elrohir said smiling.

"But I'm mortal. Pursuing her isn't an option," James said firmly.

"But you said your kind are blessed with longer life than those that are non-magical," Elladan said making a point.

James nodded, "This is true but my life span pales in comparison to an elf's," James said.

"If it came down to it, she could forsake the immortal life," Glandur said quietly.

James noticed that the two brothers became slightly uncomfortable at this. He wished he knew why, but decided not to call them out on it.

"That would be entirely her decision, not mine. But I haven't even had a conversation with her, so I think we're getting a little ahead of ourselves," James said before bidding them a good night.

James stared up at the ceiling above his bed, deep in thought. He came to the conclusion that it wouldn't hurt to talk to her. Sighing, he shifted onto his side and closed his eyes. That night he dreamt of the most beautiful pair of green eyes he'd ever seen.

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><p><strong>A.N: Whew! What a chapter! I hope you liked it. Do you think Bellethiel should be more than a passing fancy? Let me know! <strong>  
><strong>REVIEWS ARE APPRECIATED! :)<strong>


	13. Chapter 13: Edoras

**This chapter solely focuses on Arlena. It gets rather _angsty_ so beware!  
>As usual, I own nothing.<strong>

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><p><em>Edoras<em>

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><p>Arlena found her school trunk in her room. Laying on top of it was an envelope addressed to her, her name in the neat emerald green writing that she had grown up seeing. Smiling widely, she hastily tore it open.<p>

_Some comforts from home. _

_-MM_

_P.S. All magical items that will show your true identity have charms on them to be seen as "nonmagical" items. You can also alter who can see these items._

She laughed in relief. So Minerva McGonagall knew she was here. Strangely enough, she even _knew_ that she had kept her magic a secret to the general public and the like. Tossing the letter onto her bed, she opened her trunk up in excitement. She almost cried form happiness when she found her Gryffindor scarf and her medical textbooks. In fact, she found _all_ of her textbooks from school and some of her favorite books. She also discovered some new healing textbooks that focused on combining natural remedies with magic. There were even more books in her trunk, but she decided she would sort through them later once she saw the photo albums. She didn't stop the tears this time.

Seeing all their smiling faces made her realize how much she missed them all. For all she knew, she was here alone. She still hadn't figured out why she was here. The King's mind was being slowly overtaken, but she didn't know what to do about it. She had already searched the "library" and found it to be horribly inadequate in so many ways. If she had the power to do so, she would completely revamp the library.

But now she had books from _her_ world. If Minerva knew that she had kept her magic a secret, maybe she also knew that the King's mind was being poisoned. With that thought in mind, she resumed her search in her trunk. She let out a triumphant cry when she found _The Effects of Mind Control and Other Theories_ by Theon Florent underneath her broomstick. There were in addition many other volumes about the brain and magic.

She had many hours of research ahead of her and that pleased her beyond belief. Unlike many, Arlena enjoyed digging up information from old books and putting that information to good use. She _needed_ this, she realized. She wouldn't feel so useless here. She had a purpose.

But before she let her excitement get the best of her, she needed some ink, quills, and parchment. She could just conjure all of these things, but holing herself up in her room would make people wonder. No, she needed to acquire these things without magic. Besides, Éomer, Théodred, and Éowyn should be informed of this as well. The King was family after all.

She walked to the map room, deciding to start her search there. She found the door partially closed, and she decided to take a peek. Théodred was consulting with some of the King's advisors. She quickly knocked on the door, to make sure they knew she wasn't eavesdropping. The group of men all turned to her.

"Excuse me for interrupting gentlemen, but I am searching for some writing supplies," she said slowly entering the room.

"There should be some on the back table, Miss. Take as much as you'd like," Théodred said, smiling.

She returned the smile and nodded her thanks. She made her way to the back table and found all she needed.

"You can write?" one of the advisors asked. If she remembered correctly, his name was Walder.

"I can. Back home, learning to read and write was mandatory," she said distractedly.

Satisfied she had enough parchment, she started to leave the room. Stopping at the door, she turned back to Théodred. He was already staring at her and she blushed faintly, more embarrassed that she caught him in the act.

"When you're free, I have some important news to tell you," she said.

He nodded before resuming his discussion with the King's advisors. Arlena returned to her room; ready to do some reading.

x

She jolted awake when she heard a knock on her door. She groaned as she sat up in her chair. Her quill was stuck against her forehead. She had fallen asleep at her desk. She stretched and massaged her neck. She magically replenished the candles, since they were low. It was late, that's all she knew. She heard another knock on her door and quickly got up to answer it. Éomer leaned against the doorframe, his arms crossed. He looked at her in amusement. She invited him in and closed the door.

"What's up?" she asked him.

He looked at her, pure confusion written on his face.

"The ceiling?"

"Oh! Sorry, what's up is a phrase we use back home to ask what you've been doing or what you want to talk to about," she said tiredly.

"I see. Théodred told me the important news so I came to see how you were progressing," Éomer said, grabbing one of her hands. The ink had stained the pads of her fingers.

"And by the looks of it, you've been quite busy," he commented, still looking amused.

Arlena shrugged, "Nothing yet but I'm only twenty pages into the book. Most of it is introducing the material."

He was still staring at her with that amused look.

"Why do you keep staring at me like that?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"You fell asleep at your desk," he said amused. She pulled her hand away from his.

"No I didn't," she said.

"Yes, you did."

"No I didn't."

"Then how did that ink get onto your forehead?" he asked, chuckling.

She gasped, her hand flying to her forehead. The bloody quill, she thought as she stared at herself in the mirror. She blushed, embarrassed. Quickly she wiped the ink off.

"So maybe I did," she said reluctantly. Then another thought hit her.

"What time is it?" Arlena asked staring at him.

"A little after midnight," he said plainly.

She continued on staring at him for awhile before speaking.

"Why are you really here, Éomer?" she asked softly, taking a seat on her bed.

He remained silent, a serious look forming on his face. He ran a hand over his face and sighed.

"I'm leaving in a few hours," he said quietly.

"Again?" she asked quickly, frowning.

He hadn't even been back yet for two weeks. She hadn't seen him much lately, with him being busy with reports from the outposts. Their "lovely reunion" hadn't been more than a quick hello in the corridors. Arlena had sulked that day, secretly hoping she could have hugged him.

"Yes, I'll be visiting a different outpost this time. I'll be gone for a week at the most," he said, watching her carefully.

She nodded slowly, still frowning. She didn't want him to go. She looked down at her ink stained hands.

"It feels like you just returned back," she said shyly, still staring down at her hands.

She heard him approach and felt more than saw him kneel down in front of her. He gently held her hands and she looked up. His gaze was intense and she couldn't look away.

"I know our encounters have been fleeting. The outposts have been keeping me busier than normal," he said quietly.

"You owe me fourteen jokes," she said smirking.

Before he left, Éomer had taken to telling Arlena a joke every day. Sometimes she wouldn't see him all day, except for the few minutes each day to tell her a joke. Most of them were rather lame jokes and many she didn't understand, but she enjoyed them nonetheless.

He laughed, "I have been slacking as of late. When I get back I'll crack jokes to you all day."

"I like the sound of that," she said quietly. The thought of spending an entire day with the man sent a thrill though her. He was a busy man and when he was free, he had mere hours to spare.

"Excellent. That's what I'll do then," he said, squeezing her hands.

Arlena looked sad again, "I'll miss you, Éomer."

Éomer removed one of his hands from hers and cupped her cheek. She instinctively leaned into the palm of his hand and her eyes fluttered shut. His thumb stroked her cheek bone.

"I know. I'll miss you too," he said. She smiled a little, her free hand holding onto his wrist.

"Lena," he said, his voice deeper than normal.

Her eyes fluttered open, staring at him. No one in this world calls her that. She had always been fond of the nickname, and even more so now that she heard him say it.

"What?" she whispered.

"I-I have to go," he said lamely. He had been about to say something else, but chickened out.

"Get some rest, okay?"

She nodded, yawning softly. Éomer cupped her face with both of his hands and placed a light kiss on her forehead. Then with a swiftness she didn't know he possessed, he left the room.

"Bloody hell," she muttered before collapsing onto her bed. She felt completely drained. With a wave of her hand, all of the candles went out and she promptly fell asleep.

x

Éowyn and Arlena were walking around the village when they heard a commotion at the gate. Éowyn went in search of her cousin while Arlena went to see what all the fuss was about.

"I'm sorry, Gandalf, but I'm under strict orders to not allow you in," she heard Hama say.

She quickly scaled the last flight of stairs and joined the guard.

"That is absolute madness, Hama," she heard a deep voice say.

His voice was like the rumbling of a distant thunder. Arlena felt her insides freeze. Turning to look down at their visitor, her breath hitched. She had _seen_ that man before. _Heard_ that voice. In _her_ dream. But he was different. Compared to her dream, he was a lot more...grey.

"I'm sorry wizard, but an order from the King must be followed," Hama said with finality.

Arlena saw Gandalf nod, "This isn't over, Hama. I shall return."

He then looked at Arlena directly in the eyes, "Until then, Miss Black."

Arlena gasped in shock, clutching onto the railing.

"Do you know him, Miss?" Hama asked, his eyes narrowed suspiciously at her.

She shook her head vehemently, "No, I've never met him before. Yet he knew my name."

How in Merlin's name did he know her name? She had never spoken to him before! Well, except in her dream... Did _he_ know about that dream? Oh, Circe! She began to feel awfully lightheaded before everything went black.

x

_The battle was finally over. Voldemort was dead. The almost sixteen year old witch walked into the Great Hall, ready to rejoin her family. She then noticed the bodies. They were all neatly lined against the wall. Something was telling her she _had_ to visit them. She already knew about Remus, Tonks and Fred. Something kept telling her to go down the line. _

_Without another thought, she approached the line of bodies. She saw her father staring stonily at Remus and Tonks. She plowed on, passing the Weasley clan. The sight she saw next literally tore her heart to shreds. _

_So this was what that something told her to see. _

"_Colin?" she whispered in disbelief. _

"_No no no no NO!" she screamed as she ran to his side, clutching his dead cold hand. _

_Someone had closed his striking blue eyes. She ran a hand through his slightly long blonde hair as she started to cry. Her boyfriend of almost a year was dead. The sweet boy with such huge dreams was gone. She fought off all those that tried to pry her away from him. She couldn't leave him. Not now. _

"_Colin. My dear sweet Colin. Why did you have to go off and get yourself killed? How could you do this to me?" she cried, her voice getting even more hysterical. _

_She cried into his chest, wondering why fate could be so cruel to her._

"_Arlie, you have to let him go. His brother and dad are here," she recognized the voice belonging to Harry Potter. _

_She turned to look at him. He looked like absolute crap but then again she probably did as well. His hand was on her shoulder, the weight of it an anchor to reality. He nodded his head towards the Great Hall entrance and she saw Dennis and his father approaching. She looked at Harry again and nodded. _

_She let go of Colin's hand and grabbed Harry's. He helped her up. _

"_He fought bravely, Arlie," he said quietly. _

"_Oh, Harry!" she cried before bursting into sobs again. _

_He puled her into a hug and she continued to sob into the Savior of the Wizarding World's shoulder. _

x

Éomer couldn't understand why Théodred greeted him with such a somber look upon his face.

"What's wrong?" he asked after he dismounted. Hama's son Haleth took his horse away.

"It's Arlena. She's sick," Théodred said. That was all his cousin needed to say for Éomer to have a matching somber look on his face.

"Take me to her," Éomer said, schooling his emotions perfectly. He skillfully hid any traces of fear in his voice.

"She collapsed three days ago and has been fighting a fever ever since. Hama was with her when she collapsed and he blames it on black magic," Théodred said quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"Gandalf visited and he knew her name. She said she had never met him and then collapsed," his cousin explained.

Éomer wanted to punch something. What had that blasted Gandalf done to their witch?

"Éowyn has taken care of her. However I've had to place some guards in her room as well," Théodred said carefully. They had now reached Arlena's door.

"Guards? What in Helm's name for?" Éomer asked in disbelief.

Théodred turned to look at his cousin and Éomer saw how troubled he looked.

"She thrashes about in her sleep. So much so that someone has to hold her down to prevent her from harming herself. None of the women are strong enough," he said quietly.

Éomer swore, wondering what nightmares could be plaguing her. Thoughts of the war she had fought in entered his mind and he swore again.

"She also cries out. Sometimes for mercy. Mostly nonsense but she has said some names as well. Her brother James, someone named Colin, Remus, and yours," Théodred said.

"Mine?" Éomer asked in disbelief. It couldn't be possible.

"Yes, yours. I have to take care of some small domestic dispute, but I'll be back later," Théodred said before giving him a nod.

With a deep breath, Éomer entered Arlena's room.

x

_Shouting. She heard angry voices. All around her there was constant shouting. Where ever she ran, that's all she heard. She couldn't escape. She couldn't take it. Clutching her head, she screwed her eyes shut. _

"_MAKE IT STOP!" she screamed. _

_And it did. The silence was deafening. Slowly opening her eyes, she found herself in a familiar forest. Now the only sounds she heard was the rustling of the leaves. Something was telling her to walk east and so she did. _

_She found herself in an all too familiar clearing and was half expecting to find Gandalf standing there. But instead, she found someone she never expected to see. _

"_Colin?" she said in disbelief. _

_He was standing there, wearing a Muggle tuxedo of all things. His blonde hair was slicked back and his blue eyes were filled with love. _

"_Hello, love."_

"_This can't be real," she whispered, tears running down her face. _

_Colin just shrugged, "Then it isn't real, Arlie. Take this whatever way you want it to."_

_Arlena stared at him in wonder, "But you're dead, Colin."_

"_Yes, I am. Have been for a couple of years. Wanna know why I'm here then?"_

_Arlena found herself nodding. _

"_To give you some hope," Colin said as he shoved his hands into his trouser pockets._

"_Hope?" she asked._

"_Mhmm. I know how you put on a strong face for everyone, but I can tell you're mask is cracking. You're not invincible, Arlie," he said. _

"_And that's supposed to help me?" she shot back, eyes narrowed at him. _

"_Oh bugger Arlie, you know I suck at these things. But I wasn't finished with what I was saying, sweets," he continued, smiling softly at her. _

_When she didn't respond he continued, "You're not invincible, Arlie. You can't handle this all on your own. You have to share your burden or you'll crack."_

_She laughed bitterly, "But I'm so alone, Colin. More alone than I've ever felt before."_

"_You're not alone, I swear it. You're never alone. There are those that would gladly help you. Éowyn for example," he said._

_She remained silent. _

_"For Merlin's sake, Arlie! They don't even know about me!" Colin said, looking slightly hurt. _

_Arlena looked away from him, ashamed. She wasn't sure if she was ready to talk about that yet. But here she was talking to _him_..._

_"There's another who would be more than glad to help," he said, breaking the silence._

"_Who?" she implored. _

"_I know I did my best to treat you like a princess, but it appears he has one upped me and will make you a queen," he said wistfully. _

_Arlena stared at him oddly, her mind going a million miles a minute._

"_But I'm no queen," she spluttered. _

"_You're destined to be one, Arlie," Colin said quietly._

"_Théodred?" she whispered in disbelief. _

_A somber look clouded over Colin's face, "No, he will sadly never rule."_

_He quickly changed the subject, "Anyways, that Middle Earth of yours has so much potential. Are you going to let it go to waste?"_

_She opened her mouth, but no words came out. _

"_For the past three days, you've been fighting a fever. You can either let it consume you or you can overcome it and make a difference in that world of yours," Colin said. _

_Arlena stared at him, mulling that over. _

"_I'll always love you, you know that right?" she finally said. _

_Colin smiled, "I know, my love. You've made the right choice."_

"_Colin?"_

"_Yes?"_

"_What's with the tuxedo?"_

_Colin laughed, "You always said you liked me in Muggle clothes best."_

_Arlena smiled back, "And I still do."_

"_Time to wake up, Arlie."_

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><p><strong>A.N: CLIFFHANGER! Sorrrryyy about it, but I have to keep you guys hooked SOMEHOW don't I? Feedback is always appreciated, even if you wanna complain for leaving you hanging like that. <strong>

**Also, what do you think of the Arlena/Colin encounter? Review please!**


	14. Chapter 14: Hogwarts & Middle Earth

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing, except the OCs. LOTR belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien, HP belongs to J.K. Rowling, Labyrinth belongs to Jim Henson, AND the song Did I Make the Most of Loving You by Mary-Jess is also not mine!**

**Love is in the air, my friends! Enjoy this chapter! **

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><p><em>Hogwarts, Edoras, Rivendell, &amp; Minas Tirith<em>

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><p>"Good heavens, Albus. First Cora gets herself wounded and now Arlena is sick with a fever. I'm shocked to find James in one piece," Minerva McGonagall said to the portrait of the late Headmaster.<p>

"I will admit, I myself suspected James would be the one that would get himself into trouble. However, Cora is on the mend and Arlena will overcome it. They're both fighters," Albus said, shifting in his seat.

"Cora and Faramir's budding romance is unexpected yet not unwelcome," Minerva continued, trying to cover up her smirk.

"Oh please, Minerva. It's no secret that you were pleased that Miss Cora ended her relationship with Mr. Wood," Albus said.

"Mr. Wood's accident changed him for the worst. Cora tried to get him help but he refused. His stubbornness was his downfall. With the way he treated her, it is no wonder that she ended it," Minerva continued sadly.

Oliver Wood had been one of her favorite students, but she was sadly disappointed when she found that he had let his accident define him. Albus nodded in agreement.

"Is the next person ready?" he asked.

Minerva smiled, "He will be in a week. He has learned all of the required skills so vigorously that he is two weeks ahead of schedule."

"Mr. Weasley was always an excellent student in addition to being fond of adventures. Just like his brother Bill," Albus remarked.

Minerva hummed her agreement.

"How has Molly taken it?" he then asked.

"Rather well, once she was told she could visit him eventually. She wishes Charlie the best and that he should try his best to find a wife there," the Headmistress said, rolling her eyes.

Albus chuckled, "That is entirely up to Mr. Weasley."

xxx

She didn't wake up right away. In fact, she dreamt more. The dead and flashbacks of her school days during the war kept haunting her dreams. They were horrible times, but she had her brother and boyfriend Colin Creevey to keep her strong. Over and over her kept replaying the times the two boys had taken the blame for things she had done. The Carrows would torture them and would force her to watch.

"COLIN!" she screamed, sitting up in her bed. She stared around wildly, trying to steady her heartbeat.

Éomer jolted awake, startled by her screams. He quickly moved to the side of the bed, grabbing one of her hands.

"Arlena, it was just a dream. You're alright," he said, trying to soothe her.

She stared at him wildly before bursting into tears. Not knowing what else to do, he enveloped her into his arms. She continued to sob into his chest. He waited patiently for Arlena to stop and when she finally did he slowly began to bring her up to speed on what had happened to her. Even though the tears had stopped, her head remained on his shoulder.

"You cried out many names the past couple of days," he said solemnly as he brushed a strand of hair off her face.

"I did? I fear I am apprehensive to know who," she said quietly. Her voice was hoarse and she couldn't raise her voice any higher than a loud whisper.

"Your family, Remus, and someone named Colin," he said in the same solemn voice.

She lifted her head off of his shoulder. She knew he would ask about Colin. He was the only one she hadn't mentioned to them yet. But she was ready to talk about him now.

"I don't mean to pry, but you called out this Colin's name quite often. Who was he?" Éomer asked.

Arlena sighed, "He died in the war. We were sweethearts."

"Did you love him?" he asked. Arlena noticed he was looking at her rather strangely. She disregarded it and answered his question.

"In my own way I did. Still do, in fact. I wasn't sure if we would spend the rest of our lives together, but I guess I shall never find that out," she stated sadly before sighing again.

"He was my first love. We lived in the moment, for the most part. Everyone did when our futures were so uncertain. Except for Colin. He looked forward to the future. He wanted to become a professional photographer. He was so talented and full of potential. He could have made a huge name for himself, but we'll never know," she said quietly.

"How old was he?" Éomer asked.

"He was killed two weeks before his seventeenth birthday. I myself was only a few weeks away from turning sixteen. We were _so_ young," she had started to cry again and hadn't noticed she was until Éomer wiped her tears away.

He checked her forehead and smiled slightly.

"You're fever is gone, Arlena," he said.

"Did you think it wouldn't?" she asked staring at him.

"There were several tense hours, that is for sure," Éomer said quietly.

"It shall take far more than a fever to get rid of me, Éomer," she said softly, squeezing his hand. He took ahold of it and cradled it in his hands.

The pair remained silent, taking in the moment.

"What's it like to be in love?" Éomer asked suddenly.

Arlena looked at him in shock.

"You've never been in love?"

"I can't say I have, but you have. Please, enlighten me."

"Where to start?" she said more to herself. She laid back down and motioned for Éomer to join her. He awkwardly joined her on the bed.

"Well, you feel completely at ease around them; you can be yourself. Except sometimes just one look from them can cause your breath to hitch and your heart to race. It's not just a physical attraction. You accept them completely- faults and all. You want their mind, body, and soul. Every moment apart feels like centuries and when you are together, you want it to last forever," she said absentmindedly.

"And you felt all that at fifteen?" Éomer asked in awe.

Arlena blinked, realizing she didn't feel half of those things when she was dating Colin. No, she felt all those things_ right now._

"No, I did not," Arlena said strangely. She didn't hide the confused look on her face.

"Then how do you know all those things?" Éomer asked, arching an eyebrow.

"I-I'm not sure. The love I had for Colin was soft and tender. What I just described was extremely passionate. Oh Merlin, I'm so confused," she whispered.

x

She still hadn't regained most of her strength back, but Arlena was absolutely dying to get out of her room. Earlier that morning, Éowyn had helped her take a bath. She had found out that the older woman had remained by her side constantly, taking care of her. Éomer had taken over once he saw how worn out his sister was, but he still couldn't keep her away from the witch for long.

Once done with her bath, Arlena ordered Éowyn to get more sleep. The blond still looked worn out. After sending her away, Arlena slowly began to dress herself.

Satisfied that she didn't look like death, she walked out of her room and made her way towards the main hall.

x

"But what is to be done with the child?" Éomer asked, glancing at the small boy.

He and Théodred were currently discussing the fate of the young son of one of their fallen comrades. Arnor, son of Jared, had died in battle six months prior. His wife, Loria, had fallen ill soon after and had not recovered. She passed away not two days ago. Now Caden, son of Arnor, was alone with no where to go.

Éomer watched his cousin stare at the child in unease. _He does not know what to do with the boy,_ he thought sadly. To be honest, Éomer himself did not know either.

Arlena walked into the hall, staring at the trio oddly. Once she finally approached them, she noticed how sad and afraid the young boy was. Staring at the two men accusingly, she then kneeled down in front of the boy.

"Hello, my name is Arlena. What's your name?" she asked quietly.

"Caden, son of Arnor," he said in a small voice.

"Where's your mum and dad?" she then asked, ignoring the looks given to her by Éomer and Théodred.

Caden's face scrunched up in pain, "Dead. Home is not home anymore. They decide where I go."

Looking upon the little boy's dirty face in dismay, she quickly asked him more questions. After finding out that he was hungry, Arlena stood up and stared angrily at the two men.

"Shame on you for not properly taking care of him! The poor boy just lost his parents and you just let him stand there, scared out of his wits while you two debate his fate!" she yelled, her eyes flashing in anger.

Taking a deep breath, she once again crouched down to Caden again.

"How about cleaning you up, getting some food into that belly of yours?" Arlena said gently, any hint of anger completely gone from her voice.

Caden nodded solemnly.

"Then once we're all done with that, I can tell you some stories. Do you like the sound of that?" she then asked, holding out her hand.

The boy's face lit up and he happily placed his small hand in hers. Turning to the two men, Arlena stared at them icily.

"For the duration of his stay, Caden will be under _my_ care," she stated simply.

When she saw Théodred start to protest, her eyes narrowed and she bit out a retort.

"That wasn't a request."

She walked out of the room, with Caden in tow. Théodred stared at her retreating back, his nostrils flaring. It was the only way that Éomer could tell that he was upset.

"She has absolutely no right to speak that way to us!" Théodred said, barely containing his anger.

"And yet she did anyways," Éomer said calmly.

Although being at the receiving end of Arlena's tongue lashing wasn't pleasant, her words rang true. Théodred continued on, ignoring his cousin's calm tone.

"The way she yelled at us and then took over the situation as if she had more authority over us! It's deplorable!"

"Well, we were handling the situation rather poorly. She had every right to do what she did," Éomer said quietly.

Théodred turned to stare at his cousin in disbelief.

"Y-You can't be serious, Éomer! She challenged our authority! _Overruled _it!" Théodred shouted, his voice echoing in the empty hall.

"When it comes to all matters concerning children, Théodred, there is no better authority than a woman. Arlena's maternal instincts kicked in and she acted in the way she believed right," Éomer explained sagely.

Éomer has had far more experience settling domestic disputes concerning children than his cousin did. However, this was the first time that the child had no living relatives to stay with.

"The child did look scared," Théodred reluctantly admitted.

"As any child that had lost both parents in less than a year would. But Arlena's interruption has given me an idea," Éomer said quietly.

x

"_But what no one knew is that the King of the Goblins had fallen in love with the girl, and he had given her certain powers,"_ Arlena said, retelling the story of one of her favorite movies, _Labyrinth. _

"But there isn't a King of the Goblins," Caden said confused.

"These goblins are different than the goblins here. In this story, they are smaller and not nearly so evil. They aren't bright things and like to cause mischief above all. They have to have a Goblin King to rule over them," Arlena quickly explained.

"Oh okay," Caden said and allowed Arlena to continue the story.

Éomer watched on in amusement as Arlena continued to tell the fascinating story to the young boy. Her voice changed to differentiate who was talking and it caused Caden to giggle. Not wanting to disrupt her, Éomer left to make sure that his preparations were going as planned.

x

"You certainly have a way with children," Éomer said quietly hours later. He noticed Caden soundly sleeping on Arlena's bed.

Arlena smiled sheepishly, "I'm glad he finally fell asleep when he did. I was running out of stories."

Éomer chuckled, but said nothing.

"What is to be his fate?" Arlena suddenly asked, a worried look etched into her brown eyes.

"He shall become a ward of the Hall. I'm surprised I didn't think of it earlier. We have had several wards in the past, but not for many years now. When he gets older, we will help him find some sort of apprenticeship or he can become a soldier," Éomer quietly explained.

Arlena sighed in relief, "That is definitely good to hear. I have grown rather fond of him. I'll be allowed to visit him, right?"

"Of course. I plan on visiting him myself every now and then," he said.

Arlena smiled, liking the sound of that.

"His room has already been prepared. I came here to collect him."

"Alright. I'm still not strong enough to carry him," Arlena said softly.

"Speaking of which, I know you're feeling better, but you're still supposed to be in bed," Éomer said, chiding her gently. He gently picked the sleeping boy up from the bed and into his arms. Caden didn't wake.

"I'm glad I didn't. Otherwise you two would've shipped this poor boy off to who knows where!" the witch said pointedly.

Éomer had the decency to look sheepish, "I will admit, we have handled situations far better than this one."

Arlena scoffed, but then smiled when she noticed the look Éomer was giving Caden. It was a tender look, one which spoke volumes. He truly cared about the well-being of this boy.

"Théodred isn't overly fond of children, is he?" Arlena asked as they approached the wing where the servants resided.

"He often thinks of them as miniature adults, and treats them as such," Éomer said quietly.

"I hope he didn't take my actions too personally. I have the tendency to act before I truly think out the consequences," Arlena said worriedly.

"I can assure you, he did no such thing," Éomer lied. Théodred had in fact taken it to heart, and Éomer had done all he could do to prevent Théodred from retaliating foolishly.

They soon arrived at Caden's new room. Arlena opened the door and watched as Éomer gently deposited him onto the small bed.

"Who will watch over him?" Arlena suddenly asked.

"We have enlisted the help of an elderly widow to take care of him. Her children have all grown up and ever since her husband's death she has been rather lonely. Caden will find her to be a wonderful surrogate grandmother," Éomer said quietly.

Arlena nodded silently before saying her goodbyes to the child. Éomer then escorted her back to her room.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

"For what?" he asked, confused.

"For taking care of me, you didn't have to do that," she said quietly.

"It was no trouble. It was the right thing to do, and I'd like to think you would do the same thing if our places were switched," he said.

Arlena blushed a rather pretty shade of pink, in his opinion, and nodded meekly.

The pair remained silent. Suddenly, Éomer gently cupped her cheek with his hand. Arlena's eyes fluttered shut and she didn't notice him moving closer to her until she felt his lips against hers.

Her eyes opened wide in shock but she quickly overcame it and soon found herself kissing him back. She couldn't remember the last time she had kissed someone like this, but that thought quickly disappeared when she felt him abruptly pull away.

"I-Forgive me," Éomer said before quickly walking away.

Arlena stood there, completely dumbfounded.

xxx

James found her in the same clearing a week later. She was wearing an airy lavender gown and had her long brown hair pulled back. She was carrying a small basket with her and seemed to be lost in her own world.

The wizard slowly crept up closer to her, surprised she hadn't noticed him. Knowing from experience, it was damn near impossible to successfully approach an elf without their knowledge. It just solidified his belief that she _really_ wasn't paying attention to her surroundings.

She was singing to herself while picking flowers. James gleefully noted that she was singing in English. His elvish was quite limited still.

"_When these endless lonely days are through, I'll make the most of loving you,"_ she sang softly as she found another patch of wildflowers.

Kneeling down, she placed her basket to the side. Picking up a small knife, she slowly picked some of the flowers. He noticed she seemed particularly fond of yellow flowers. A thought coming to his mind, he conjured a yellow rose without thorns.

She slowly got up from the ground and turned to walk away. Knowing now was a good time, he spoke.

"You have a lovely voice," he said, twirling the rose in his hand.

She gasped, turning towards him. Seeing who it was, she blushed faintly.

"Thank you, but it is quite rude to sneak up on people," she said pointedly.

"I was making quite a lot of noise actually. I apologize if I startled you. That was not my intention," he said, offering her the yellow rose.

She hesitantly took the rose and mumbled her forgiveness.

"I'm James Black," he said, leaning against the trunk of an ancient tree.

"I know. I'm Bellethiel," she said smiling at him.

"I know," he said laughing.

"What else do you know, James?" she asked arching an eyebrow at him.

"I know you like to sing, you seem to be fond of the color yellow, and you have to be the most beautiful thing I have ever seen," he said quietly.

She blushed deeply before making an excuse that she had to go.

"But I want to know more!" he said following her.

She continued on walking, not responding to him.

"Am I allowed to know more?" he shouted at her.

She quickly turned back and smiled at him, "Of course you are!"

James stopped walking and smiled. He was looking forward to getting to know her.

xxx

Night had fallen upon Minas Tirith. Cora found herself in the Ecthelion Garden. It was the biggest and most beautiful garden in the White City. Ancient looking lanterns were lit and filled the garden with a soft glow of light. She decided this was one of her most favorite places in the entire world.

She had been released from the Houses of Healing's care two days ago. Faramir had asked her to meet him here at seven. She was here early and she was so glad that she had been too antsy to wait. This garden had completely calmed her. She made her way towards the center of the garden and found a large fountain. The fountain featured a couple embracing one another. Cora sighed, not able to take in how romantic this place was.

Earlier in the day she had found an airy one-shoulder navy blue dress laying on her bed. When she put it on, she felt like a Muggle Grecian goddess. It included a dainty silver belt and a tree of Gondor medallion that went on the shoulder. She transfigured the matching silver slippers into strappy sandals.

It appeared that Faramir liked seeing her in his country's colors. Not that she really minded, although her inner Gryffindor was lamenting about wearing such Ravenclaw colors so often.

"You are a vision, my lady," a voice said behind her. Turning her head, she found Faramir staring at her.

Standing up from her seat by the fountain, she approached him.

"You really think so?" she asked as she twirled around.

"Mmm, I most definitely do," he said as he closed the distance between them. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. He ran his hands up her sides, and Cora's eyes fluttered shut at the contact.

_So he's being bolder, _she thought approvingly as she opened her eyes. Well, two could play this game. Pulling herself closer to him, she smirked before brushing her lips against his. He was about to kiss back but she pulled away before he could.

"You tease," he groaned before he swooped in for another kiss.

This time Cora didn't pull away. Sighing into the kiss, she happily gave into Faramir's demanding lips. Once they pulled apart, Faramir had a mischievous grin on his face.

"Follow me," he said before grabbing her hand.

He led her towards a secluded spot in a corner of the garden. From this spot, no one could see them. Cora smiled before conjuring a blanket for them to lay on. The blanket was crimson and her inner Gryffindor roared with pleasure at the sight of it. They both laid down on it and stared at the stars.

Faramir pointed out several constellations and Cora realized that she wasn't familiar with any of them. Staring up at a completely different sky, she was shocked to find she didn't feel the least bit alone. Sighing happily, she snuggled up closer to Faramir.

The rest of the night consisted of kisses and star gazing as the couple enjoyed each other's company, oblivious to the dark times ahead.

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><p><strong>A.N: Hope you liked this chapter featuring quite a lot of characters! What do you think? Leave a review! :)<strong>


	15. Chapter 15: Middle Earth

**Hello, my dear readers! Sorry for the long wait, but I wanted this chapter to be perfect! As you will have noticed, the rating for this story has been changed to M. Mostly because I'm paranoid. There isn't any real smut in this chapter, but there may be in oncoming chapters.**

**Also, I own absolutely nothing and the quotes in italics belong to Act IV, scene i of William Shakespeare's _Macbeth_.**

**This is a shorter chapter, but many things happen!**

**Without further ado, enjoy this chapter! **

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><p><em>Middle Earth<em>

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><p>"Hello again," James said once he approached Bellethiel near the main well that served a great deal of homes in Rivendell.<p>

She gasped and dropped her bucket. But before it got the chance to hit the ground, James stopped it in mid-air and lazily levitated it back to her hands. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"What did I say about sneaking up on people?" she asked exasperated.

This was the third time this week that he had managed to sneak up on her and to be quite honest, she was getting frustrated. There was a small voice in the back of her mind that kept telling her that she secretly enjoyed it. She would always tell that voice to be quiet.

"You said it was rude," he shrugged.

"Exactly, so why do you continue to do it?" she asked, trying to keep the agitation out of her voice. It didn't work.

Leaning against the well, he smiled devilishly.

"I love seeing you get so worked up," he answered honestly.

Bellethiel was sorely tempted to push him into the well, but she restrained herself. Besides, Beinion would not be pleased to find his newest pupil stuck in a well. Although, he could probably just magically get himself out of it...

She quickly pushed all those thoughts to the side. She was above such things. With a sigh, she gracefully walked away from the well and started her journey back to her home. She knew he would follow her.

"Do you have to get water from the well everyday?" he asked.

She hummed her reply, "I have to go sometimes two or three times a day."

"How tiresome," he said, his nose scrunching up in distaste.

"It's not so bad. I've been doing it for years," she said off-handedly.

"How old _are_ you?" James suddenly asked.

Bellethiel stopped in her tracks, turning to look at him with an insulted look upon her face.

"Now I can tolerate being snuck up on, but this is appalling! Didn't your mother teach you any manners?" she said accusingly.

James sent her a sheepish look, "Yes, she did teach me manners. It's hard, being the only human here. I don't know what I should or shouldn't say for the most part and because of this, I end up mucking things up quite a lot."

Bellethiel's hard gaze softened. She inwardly sighed, often forgetting that he was a human. Most of the time she couldn't get over how frustrating he was.

"I'm six hundred twenty-four," she said quietly.

"Ah, so you're young then," James said kicking a small stone that was laying in the middle of the pathway.

"For my kind, yes," she said, shifting the bucket to her other hand.

James noticed this and with a wave of his hand, he made the bucket lightweight. Bellethiel's eyes widened in surprise and looked at James. She knew he had done it, but he had continued on kicking the small stone as if nothing happened.

"Wizards here are immortal, but you are not," she said.

James nodded, "This is true. But I am blessed with a longer life than most."

"How much longer?" she asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.

"Most witches and wizards can live well beyond two hundred years. There was one instance where a wizard lived to be six hundred sixty-five and his wife was six hundred fifty-eight," he said.

"Really?"

"Mhm, but they had the use of a magical stone that granted them immortality and would turn metal into gold," he continued on.

"So why did they die then?" Bellethiel found herself saying. They had stopped walking and were standing in the middle of the pathway.

"They destroyed the magical stone because they feared the Dark Lord would use it to achieve immortality. And he almost did get the stone, if it wasn't for my friend," he said, smiling fondly at the thought of Harry Potter.

"Oh, and how old are you?" she suddenly asked.

James smirked, "Why should I tell you?"

"It's only fair," she said exasperated.

"Life isn't fair, my dear," James retorted with a smirk.

"Why are you so irritating?" she snapped at him, resuming her walk.

"Why are you so pretty?" James retorted.

Bellethiel opened her mouth to reply, but found she had nothing to say. Blushing profusely, she hurried her pace.

"Eighteen," James blurted out.

Bellethiel paused, turning around to give him a confused look.

"What?" she asked, her eyebrows scrunching up in confusion.

"I'm eighteen years old," he clarified.

"Oh," she said, slowly nodding. Turning back, she continued walking.

James let her walk away, watching her long brown hair swish back and forth with each hurried step.

xxx

Arlena groaned in frustration as she violently turned over onto her other side. She punched her pillow a couple times, trying to get comfortable. Every single attempt to calm down were all in vain. One thought consumed her. The memory of Éomer kissing her was seared into her memory. She _burned_ for him. Never in her life had she felt this way, and it was all so new and exciting to her.

She blushed deeply as she wondered how she would feel if he did _more_ than just kiss her...

"Oh bloody hell!" she groaned out loud, tossing her blankets to the side.

Sleep was not feasible at this point. Pacing, she began to wonder what she should do. She could always confront him about it in the morning. But would she last through the night? At the moment, she was a very impatient witch.

"I'll spend the entire night pacing if I wait till morning," she grumbled aloud.

No, she would confront him now. After all, _he_ was the one that kissed her. But why had he run away? Arlena had kissed back, so it wasn't like his attention was unwanted.

Huffing in annoyance, she cemented her resolve. Grabbing her robe, she hastily placed it over her thin dressing gown. This witch was going to have a chat with Éomer.

Silently apparating into his quarters, she found the room eerily quiet. Her eyes already adjusted to the dark, she found his unmade bed empty. Her shoulders slumped a little in disappointment and she let out a small sigh. She was so caught up in her panic that she didn't hear him approach from behind.

She inhaled sharply as she felt the cool touch of a blade against her throat.

"How foolish of me to forget that you're an insomniac," she muttered softly, hoping Éomer would remove his knife away from her throat.

"Good gods, Arlena! You should know better than to show up in someone's room unannounced in the dead of night!" Éomer said, chastising her.

She felt her face heat up in embarrassment, thankful he couldn't see it. When she didn't respond, he let out a sigh and moved his knife away from her delicate skin.

"Thank you," she whispered quietly. Turning around, she got a good look at him.

He was wearing a pair of what Arlena could only describe as breeches. She took in his muscled arms and torso. She definitely liked what she saw.

"What are you doing here, Arlena?" he asked, his face emotionless.

She stared him in the eye for awhile before replying.

"You damn well know why, Éomer," she said quietly.

He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off.

"I don't appreciate it when a man decides to kiss me and then walks away with no explanation. Especially when I was enjoying said kiss," she said bluntly.

Éomer's expression turned into one of shock.

"You enjoyed it?" he asked.

"Of course I did, you fool. I kissed you back," she stated plainly.

Arlena watched as a wolfish grin transformed his face. He closed the distance between them and roughly pulled her against them.

"Please forgive me for being such a fool," he said running his hands up and down her sides.

Her eyes fluttered shut at the contact, but she quickly reopened her eyes.

"You're going to have to really work your forgiveness, Éomer. Are you up for it?" she asked, smirking.

Pulling her even closer to him, he looked at her seriously.

"Of course I am, Arlena."

And then he kissed her with all he had.

x

Éomer woke up to the irritating sound of someone knocking on his door. Groaning, he tried to shift into a more comfortable position but found he couldn't. Opening his eyes, he found Arlena sleeping peacefully next to him. She had a small smile on her face and he wondered if he was the cause of it.

"Bloody hell, Éomer, you've been out wenching, haven't you?" he heard through the door.

The voice belonged to Théodred. Éomer quickly jumped out of bed, jostling Arlena awake.

"The bloody hell is going on?" she murmured, her voice raspy from disuse.

She blushed when she noticed Éomer was stalking around his room stark _naked._ In the dark it had been hard to see, but in the daylight she definitely liked what she saw. Apparently he seemed to be collecting her clothes.

"Théodred," he said simply as he picked up her dressing gown.

"Huh?"

"I wish our sweet interlude didn't have to end this way, but I have no choice," he said sadly. He threw her clothes onto the bed.

"You're kicking me out?" she asked suddenly, as realization dawned upon her.

Éomer paused halfway through his dressing. Walking over to her side of the bed, he sat down next to her. He noticed with pleasure that she didn't cover herself up with the blanket. Placing a hand on her cheek, he kissed her.

"Not willingly, my dear. I have no idea how, but you need to get out of here. I don't want Théodred discovering us," he said quietly.

Arlena smiled, glad things weren't awkward between them. The pounding on the door increased and Éomer let out a small growl.

"Give me a minute!" he yelled.

"Hand me my clothes," she suddenly said and without a thought, he obliged her.

"I'll see you at breakfast," she then said without waiting for a reply.

With a small pop, she apparated out of his room. Éomer watched in amazement as he watched the blanket flutter to the bed in the same spot Arlena had occupied.

It was only when Arlena was making her way to breakfast that she wondered why Éomer didn't want Théodred to discover them.

x

"What was her name?" Théodred asked at breakfast.

"Who?" Éomer asked, looking up from his plate.

He watched Théodred roll his eyes as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Éomer hated it when he acted this way.

"The girl you spent your night with," Théodred said pointedly.

"Ah, I see," Éomer said looking down at his plate again.

"Well?"

"Uhm," Éomer said, trying to think of a name. He just couldn't tell Théodred that he had slept with Arlena.

Théodred scoffed at his cousin.

"That's just rich, Éomer. You didn't even know her name? That's low, even for you," Théodred said.

"If I'm going to be honest, we didn't do much talking," Éomer smirked.

xxx

"Are you ready, Mr. Weasley?" Headmistress McGonagall asked, staring at one of her favorite former students.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Charlie Weasley said, smiling at his former teacher.

It was common knowledge that Charlie Weasley lived for adventure. Moving all the way to Romania to work with dragons clearly showed that. Being so far away from home, he wasn't nearly so involved in the war effort as he would have liked. In fact, he barely made it in time to the Final Battle itself. After the war, he transferred to the dragon reserve in Wales to be closer to home. This certainly pleased his mother, but it didn't quell the regret he felt for not helping out more.

He ached for action and his scrapes with death at the dragon reserve apparently wasn't enough for him anymore. Minerva McGonagall somehow knew this, and gave him the opportunity of a lifetime. To make a difference in a completely new world.

Of course he would miss his family, but he would be able to see them again. Besides, he would be in the company of one of the Black children, so there would be at least one friendly face.

"Now, I'm not exactly sure where you will be taken, but you will be placed wherever you are needed the most," McGonagall said, going things over with him.

"I'm sure I'll manage whatever is thrown my way," he said, soothing her nerves.

McGonagall gave him a curt nod before wishing him good luck. Brandishing her wand, she began to utter a spell in a completely foreign language to him. He closed his eyes.

Opening them, he found himself to be in front of a dead tree. He also noted that he was wearing different clothing. His ginger hair had been pulled back, and there was a sword at his hip.

He knew his possessions would turn up in the next couple of days, so he wasn't worried about that. Clasping his hands behind his back, he took in his new surroundings. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed movement and then saw a handful of guards approach him. Impressive, he thought.

"Before you gentlemen threaten me, I'd be very much obliged if one of you could tell me where I am?" he asked as he noticed them drawing their swords at him.

"You are in Minas Tirith, stranger. What is your name?" a soldier said gruffly.

Charlie smiled.

"My dear fellows, there is no cause for alarm. My name is Charlie Weasley and I am a friend of Cora Black. If one of you could inform her of my presence, I would be most grateful," he said.

A few orders were given and Charlie shifted his weight onto his other foot, waiting for Cora to show up.

x

Cora vanished one of the couches in the guest living area, replacing it with a piano. It had been months since she had last played and if she was going to be honest, the lack of playing was starting to drive her insane.

After opening all of the windows, she sat down in front of the grand piano. Taking a deep breath, she began to play.

She had lost track of time when Faramir had found her. He smiled softly, enjoying the music that he heard. This new arrival was troubling him and he knew Cora was the only way to find out who he really was.

"Cora."

She immediately stopped playing and turned around in her seat. Smiling softly at him, she briefly wondered what was wrong. It was unusual to see him at this time of day. Her suspicions were confirmed when he spoke.

"We have an unexpected visitor. He claims to know you," Faramir stated.

Cora immediately stood up from her spot and rushed towards him.

"Where?"

"The same spot where you showed up," he said quietly.

Nodding her head, she practically ran out of the room. Faramir had to run to catch up to her.

x

"Out of my way!" she boomed towards the soldiers.

They quickly opened a path up for her and she immediately approached the new visitor. She didn't hide her surprise when she saw Charlie Weasley standing in front of her. The surprise quickly turned to suspicion and she quickly aimed her wand at his chest. Charlie soon had his wand aimed at her chest. The soldiers tensed up, but didn't act out.

"Your lines," Cora said plainly.

Charlie sighed dramatically before he spoke.

"_Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble,"_ he said, staring at her expectantly.

"_By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes," _Cora replied, a devilish smile gracing her face.

She finally lowered her wand and Charlie did as well. The soldiers eased away from the mystery man, once it was confirmed that he wasn't a threat. The two still hadn't said anything else, just staring at each other. Cora couldn't contain herself any longer and squealed in delight. Rushing towards Charlie, he laughed happily as he engulfed her into a bear hug.

"Charlie Weasley, you have no idea how glad I am to see you!" Cora exclaimed, laughing happily.

Faramir watched the reunion from afar and noticed the way Charlie embraced Cora far longer than was deemed appropriate. She also didn't seem to mind at all, either. Faramir's gut clenched in jealousy. He didn't like Charlie Weasley one bit.

* * *

><p><strong>A.N: You may find Bellethiel's character to be a little too childish for an Elf, but I am making a point. She is young for an elf and still has some childish qualities to her. Please let me know what you think of this chapter! It's shorter but is packed with a lot of things!<strong>


	16. Chapter 16: Rivendell & Edoras

**So sorry for the long wait! I got a little writer's block, but now I'm back! This chapter is a bit shorter, but hopefully you'll love it nonetheless!  
>Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing!<strong>

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><p><strong><strong>_Rivendell & Edoras_

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><p>Bellethiel sat at her vanity in her room and sighed. Her mind was jumbled, and she could blame it entirely on James Black. His behavior had become so unusual as of late. Usually when he wasn't studying or sparring, he would spend his time annoying her. But, for the past month, his attitude had changed dramatically. All it did was confuse her.<p>

_It was Elrohrir and Elladan's birthday. There was a feast held in their honor. Wine was abundant and the atmosphere was lively. Bellethiel wore one of her best gowns and Arwen had prettily braided some delicate white flowers into her hair. She had danced several times already and had lost count of the times she sang. She was having a lovely evening. _

_"Lady Bellethiel," she heard a familiar voice say. _

_It shocked her to hear him address her so formally. When she turned around, she found herself even more shocked. James stood there, smiling warmly at her. He was wearing a finely embroidered tunic of crimson and gold threading. Emblazoned on his chest was a fierce lion. _

_"My house symbol," he said later that night with a funny smile on his face. It was as if there was some sort of joke that she didn't know about. _

_"Master Black," she replied back just as formally, albeit not as aloof as she would have liked. _

_James just grinned wider, "May I have the next dance?"_

_Bellethiel stared at him for awhile before answering. _

_"You may," she finally answered. She watched as relief flooded James' features. _

_"You won't regret it, my Lady," he said before bowing respectfully. _

_Bellethiel stood there, clutching the sleeves of her mint green dress in awe. That was the most civil conversation they ever had. _

Arwen silently entered the room, disrupting Bellethiel's thoughts. The elder elleth asked her what was troubling her and soon the younger elleth poured out all of her problems to her.

"So how was the dance?" Arwen finally asked once she was fully caught up.

_She was terribly distracted by the feel of James' hand on her lower back. Its warmth seeped into her entire body. The dance itself was an unremarkable one, but with the way he was looking at her she had to use all of her wits to keep up. _

_"When did you learn all of these dances?" she lamely asked, trying to prevent herself from going completely brain dead. _

_James shrugged, "Most of them tonight, but this isn't the first feast I've been to, you know."_

_"Oh," was all Bellethiel could say and she mentally berated herself for being so dull. _

_She heard James chuckle. _

_"Relax, Belle. It's only a dance," he muttered quietly as his thumb stroked her back. _

_And with more encouragement from James, Bellethiel began to relax. She also didn't mind his nickname for her. It was nice. _

_Once the dance was over, she was left breathless and not in an unpleasant way either. All of these feelings were so strange to her, and not because they were new to her. Because _he_ had caused them. _

"So what do you think of him?" Arwen finally asked, sprawled out on Bellethiel's bed. It was times like these that the older elleth could really relax and be herself.

Staring at Arwen through her vanity mirror, she thought over her response.

"I think he's.. interesting," she finally stated.

Intrigued by that response, Arwen turned over so she was laying on her stomach. Resting her chin on her hand, she arched an eyebrow at Bellethiel.

"Oh? Just like I find Estel _interesting?_" Arwen quipped, gaging the younger elleth's reaction.

Bellethiel blushed furiously and threw her slipper at Arwen. That alone just confirmed Arwen's suspicions.

_A week after the birthday celebration, Bellethiel was walking around aimlessly in one of the gardens, with a basket in her hand. She was humming a random tune when she spotted James in the distance, his bow slung across his back. When he finally approached her, a genuine smile was on his face. _

_"Lady Belle," he said happily. _

_"James," she greeted back, a faint blush tinting her cheeks. She hoped he didn't notice. _

_"What are you doing?" he asked, gesturing towards her basket. _

_"Just going to pick some flowers," she said simply. _

_"May I join you?" he asked. _

_Bellethiel stared at him curiously. Was he serious? Seeing that he was, she nodded. _

_The duo remained silent, Bellethiel trying to focus on her task of finding some flowers. Halfway during their walk, James asked her if she wanted him to carry the basket and seeing no harm in that, she let him. _

_"Thank you, James. I think I have enough flowers," she said finally, holding a bunch of flowers in her hand. _

_James returned the basket to her, and she placed the bunch gently into the basket. Selecting a pink flower from the pile, she attempted to place it in her hair. _

_"Here, let me," James said, gently taking the flower out of her hand and effortlessly placing it into the simple bun that her hair was arranged to. _

_He also tucked a strand of hair behind her pointed ear, his hand lingering a little bit longer than was proper._

_"There, even more beautiful," he said quietly. _

_Bellethiel blushed, and struggled to find something to say. _

_"James I-" she then heard Beinion call out for James. _

_"Beinion is looking for you," she quickly said, thanking the Valor for such a distraction. _

_"I shouldn't keep him any longer," James said, still not making any real attempt to leave. _

_"Go James!" she said, laughing at him. _

_"Alright, alright! I know when I'm not wanted!"_

_He tipped an imaginary hat to her, which confused Bellethiel, and made his way towards Beinion. _

"Well, you have to admit, he is a fine specimen of the human race," Arwen said suddenly.

They had managed to find their way towards the training grounds. James was currently sparring with Elladan and was holding his own.

"I suppose so," Bellethiel mumbled.

Arwen sighed. Turning to her cousin, who was her best friend, her face grew serious.

"Bellethiel, if you do end up genuinely liking him, please act on it. _You_ may have all the time in the world, but _he_ does not," she said quietly, hoping to get her point across.

When Arwen saw the thoughtful expression grace Bellethiel's face, she knew she had.

x

Later that night, Bellethiel decided to take a walk through the gardens in hopes of clearing her mind. After spending over an hour and no relief found, she decided to give up. On her way back to her room, she came across a sight she wouldn't forget.

James was standing in the pathway, his head tilted towards the sky. A gentle breeze was rustling his now much longer black hair. She was about to approach him but the expression on his face gave her pause. He looked lost.

"I don't recognize any of the stars," he said quietly.

Bellethiel, not knowing what to say, remained silent. James promptly continued.

"It just emphasizes how far away I am from home. When I would go away to school and I was feeling homesick, I would look at the stars. Knowing that my family back home could be looking at the same stars I was, always made me feel a little better. I can't really do that here. I know my sisters are out there somewhere, but the not not knowing part is killing me."

"You will see your sisters again, James," she said quietly, slowly approaching him.

James just nodded and remained silent. He still looked so vulnerable and Bellethiel wished she could do something to help. Without a thought, she placed a hand delicately onto his broad shoulder.

"You're never alone, James. Always remember that," she said softly.

James slowly smiled.

xxx

Arlena had spent the past couple of days researching. She had been slacking as of late, and the situation concerning the King wasn't getting any better. In fact, it was getting worse.

But now she was getting frustrated. All of the information she had on controlling the mind was extremely vague, and she knew if she wanted to get more information on it, she would have to obtain books that contained dark magic in them. Heaving a sigh, she knew she wasn't going to find anything more about the subject beyond the fact that it was used by very advanced dark wizards and difficult to overthrow.

With that disappointing thought, she began to put away all of her research. Once she finished, she looked around her room with a bored look. Nothing in here would amuse her now.

Deciding that she needed some cheering up, she went to visit Caden.

x

An hour later, Arlena found herself precariously sitting on top of a fence with Caden in her lap. They were watching the daily training sessions that went on amongst those of the Rohirrim.

"Caden stop squirming or else we'll both fall off the fence!" Arlena said in a slightly panicked voice.

Caden smiled sheepishly, "Sorry, Miss Lena."

The four year old then obediently stilled and resumed watching the sparring with rapt attention.

"Lord Éomer says next spring I can start training," Caden brought up excitedly.

Arlena arched an eyebrow, "He did?"

"Yep! I'll get my own wooden sword and everything!" Caden gushed.

"You'll be one of the best swordsmen in Rohan," she said, smiling down at him.

"You think so?" the boy said, twisting his body to look at her.

They swayed on the fence before regaining balance. Arlena gave him a look and he looked sheepish again. Laughing, Arlena ran a hand through the little boy's hair.

"With Lord Éomer as your teacher, yes you will be," she said with a smile.

They watched the men sparring for another half hour before they left to go to dinner. Upon entering the hall, they met Éowyn. Arlena and his nanny had been teaching him proper manners. Arlena looked at Caden expectantly and he suddenly got serious.

"Good evening, Lady Éowyn," he said with a regal bow.

Arlena and Éowyn exchanged amused glances before Éowyn replied.

"Good evening to you too, Caden," she said smiling at the boy.

"How was that, Miss Lena?" he asked, looking up at her eagerly.

"Excellent, Caden. You are becoming one of the most polite boys in all of Edoras," she said enthusiastically. Most of the boys she had come across in the village were rather rude little things.

Caden beamed and promptly led the two women to dinner.

Later that night, Arlena sat at her vanity brushing her hair. She was humming a random tune, thinking over what Caden had said about training. He was so young, wouldn't it be too soon?

As if on cue, Éomer silently entered her room.

"Caden told me something interesting today," she said as she continued running her brush through her hair.

"And what was that?" he said slowly approaching her.

He rested a hand on her shoulder and slowly began massaging it. Arlena's eyes fluttered shut at the contact, but she quickly opened them. She wasn't going to let him distract her just yet.

"He said that next spring you'll begin his training. Did you mean it?" she asked.

"Of course I did, Arlie," he said taking the brush out of her hand. He gently placed it on her vanity counter.

"But he'll only be five! He's just a child, Éomer!" she said in shock.

"It is customary for boys to begin the basics around the age of five or six," he said slowly, wondering where she was going with this conversation.

A sad look graced Arlena's face as she abruptly stood up, causing Éomer to take a step back.

"There's no such thing as a carefree childhood here, is there?" she asked quietly.

Shaking his head, he approached her and clasped her small hands in his.

"I wish it were different, but sadly, there is no such thing here," he said somberly. Life in Rohan was hard, even for those considered royalty.

"He's had such a hard life for one so young," she said quietly, looking at the clasped hands.

"You could say the same thing for yourself," Éomer said.

Arlena looked up, but didn't say anything. She still looked troubled.

"You're right, I just don't want him to go through anymore hardships," she confessed.

Éomer gave her a tender look.

"You really care about him, don't you?" he asked, cupping her face.

"I subconsciously adopted him as one of my own the minute I saw him in the hall that one day," she said.

Éomer, not being capable of putting his thoughts into words, turned them into action. He kissed her soundly.

"What was that for?" Arlena asked, smiling.

"You are absolutely wonderful," Éomer said.

Clutching his tunic, Arlena smiled impishly at him.

"What else am I?" she asked coyly.

Éomer smiled devilishly back at her, "Many, many things. Would you care to continue this conversation in the comfort of your own bed?"

"Mm, I prefer your bed. Hold on tight," she said wrapping her arms around his waist.

With a pop, she apparated them to his room.

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><p><strong>A.N: Soo what do you think?! Leave me a review! :)<strong>


	17. Chapter 17: Minas Tirith & Rivendell

**Here's the next chapter! Hope you like it! :)  
>Disclaimer: I'm only having fun!<strong>

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><p><em>Minas Tirith &amp; Rivendell, but mostly Minas Tirith<em>

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><p>Cora found herself unintentionally eavesdropping on a conversation between rather two important looking men. They had to be high ranking officials, considering how fine their clothes were. They were talking about a ring, of all things.<p>

Her eyebrows shot up in shock the more they talked about it. She didn't know what the Ring of Power was, but it didn't sound good. Boromir was seeking to obtain it, too? Without another word, she abruptly left the courtyard. Her destination was the Library.

On her way there, she came across Faramir.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" Faramir asked, confused by her hasty greeting.

"The Library!" she said, hoping that would satisfy his curiosity.

"Whatever for?" he asked, looking at her curiously.

"To research. I fear I am way behind on the history of this world," she said simply.

He nodded yet still wondered where this had come about. She has had plenty of time to read up on the history of Middle Earth.

"Are you free tomorrow evening?" she asked.

He nodded.

"I'll meet you in the gardens at the usual time then," she said smiling. With a rushed curtsy, she hurried towards her destination.

As the hours passed and she found out more and more about this Ring of Power, she became increasingly worried. This ring was tied to Sauron and after reading up on him, a knot of dread formed in the pit of her stomach.

They were dealing with another Dark Lord.

She had to talk to Charlie.

"What in the bloody hell has he gotten himself into?" Charlie muttered, running a hand over his face after he heard Cora explain everything she had learned about the One Ring.

"I wish I had known about this before he had left! I could've persuaded him otherwise," Cora said in a stern but quiet voice.

Knowing that tone of voice, Charlie instantly tried to lessen her worries.

"Hey don't beat yourself up just yet, Cora. There's still hope," he said.

"What hope is there?" she asked, letting the despair get to her.

"There's still James. Send him a patronus, explaining the situation," Charlie explained.

Cora blinked as the idea washed over her. She had forgotten about James. She wasn't sure if James would have enough influence over Boromir though.

"You're absolutely right. I can't believe I get carried away sometimes," she said, earning a slight chuckle from Charlie.

"I fail to comprehend how you managed for so long without me," he said cheekily.

Cora smacked him on the shoulder. The pair remained silent for awhile.

"Charlie, did McGonagall tell you anything about the ring?" she asked quietly, breaking the silence.

Charlie grew serious, "No she didn't. It's why we're here though, isn't it?"

Cora slowly nodded.

"Yes, I believe it is. I wonder if every universe has its own Dark Lord," she mumbled quietly.

Charlie smiled weakly before he grabbed her hand and squeezed it.

"War is coming, Cora. I feel it in my bones."

Faramir watched the pair embrace and part ways. He wondered what they could have been talking about so seriously. Weasley and Cora had been spending quite a lot of time with each other and if he was going to be honest, he wasn't thrilled about that.

Cora had told him that she and Charlie's relationship was strictly platonic, but he had a nagging feeling that at one point that hadn't been the case. He decided that he would ask about it later.

With a deep sigh, he returned back to his duties.

Cora returned to her room after her discussion with Charlie to send a message to James. She couldn't believe that she hadn't thought of it before.

"Expecto patronum," she whispered softly and watched a tiger leap onto her bed, waiting for her.

She took her time in her message, wanting to make sure that James got her request drilled into his head. James could not fail her in this.

Soon enough, she watched her patronus jump off the bed, exit through the balcony doors and disappear into the air.

xxx

James was aiming at a target with his bow when he saw Cora's patronus lazily walk towards him. Lowering his bow, he stared at it in confusion. Why had Cora sent him a patronus?

"What is that, James?" he heard Beinion say but his attention wasn't focused on his master.

The wizard waited expectantly for the patronus to start speaking but it didn't. Realizing he was in the middle of the training grounds and a decent amount of elves were staring at him oddly, he asked Beinion if he could be excused for a moment.

Beinion reluctantly agreed, still confused as to what was happening. James slowly left the training grounds in the direction of his quarters with Cora's patronus stalking behind him. When he finally reached his room, the tiger addressed him.

"James, I have an important task for you," Cora's voice echoed around the room.

He rolled his eyes, mentally making sarcastic comments about the lack of a warm greeting. He noticed the heavy pause, and realized this was going to be a lengthy task. He silently conjured writing materials to take notes and told his sister to get on with it.

"Captain Boromir of the White Tower is en route to Rivendell. He seeks Lord Elrond's council on a series of dreams he and his brother Faramir have had. His father, the Steward of Gondor, has persuaded him to try to obtain a Ring of Power to help aid their defenses against Mordor," Cora began.

"I do not know if this Ring of Power is in Rivendell, but I do know that it would do more harm than good. It belongs to the Dark Lord Sauron and he will stop at nothing to regain power. Yes, another dark lord. From what I've read of Sauron, he is bad news. I feel he might even be worse than Voldemort."

Cora paused and James could feel her worry seep into his bones. This was their true purpose, he thought.

"Boromir must not obtain the ring, James. Your task is to watch over him. You will question my task once you meet him, I know. He is a formidable man, one of the greatest warriors in all of Middle Earth. It is not his physical strength that I am worried about. It is the strength of his mind. I fear that he will be easily corrupted by the ring."

James stared at the tiger in disbelief. How was he supposed to stop this ring from corrupting this guy?

"You can prevent how much sway the ring has over Boromir. I don't know how you will accomplish this, but I'm sure once he arrives you will have a better understanding. I didn't know about the ring until recently and if I had, I would have persuaded him against it."

James found himself doubting Cora. He doesn't even know the guy! How is he supposed to prevent this from happening?!

"I know I'm asking a lot, James. Boromir is like the older brother I never had. I've mentioned him to you and he was interested in meeting you. You'll become fast friends, I just know it."

James sighed and ran a hand over his face. It was a lot of information to take in.

"We take care of our people, James. Always," Cora said.

James watched as the tiger disappeared into nothing. He slouched in his seat, still overwhelmed by what Cora asked of him. He looked over the notes and still found himself confused. He shrugged, realizing he would know more when Boromir arrived.

"Expecto patronum," he murmured.

A silver lion stared at him, waiting for the message. In his message James assured his older sister that he would do everything he could in his power to save Boromir. He wasn't making any guarantees though.

His patronus left without him noticing, his mind consumed by troubled thoughts. Another Dark Lord? He couldn't believe his luck. Groaning, he decided he would think about that later. This was probably something he could discuss at length with Lord Elrond.

James left his room with far more troubles than he came in with.

xxx

Cora was walking in the gardens with Faramir the next evening. They maintained a respectful distance from each other. Cora was touching the petals of all the flowers she walked by as Faramir walked by her side.

"How did your time at the library go?" he asked, his hands clasped behind his back.

"It went well. I found what I was looking for," she said distractedly.

"And what were you looking for?" Faramir asked.

"Sauron and the Ring of Power," she stated plainly as if she were talking about the weather.

"Oh," he choked out.

She turned to look at him, "I'm assuming those are topics not discussed openly."

Faramir nodded. Cora returned to touching the flowers. She noticed a pretty white flower and decided to pick it.

"Ouch!" she hissed in pain. The flower had thorns on its stem, but she hadn't seen them.

Faramir grabbed her hands and looked at the damage. The thorns had broken the skin on the pads of her fingers and they had started to bleed a little.

"Episkey," she muttered quietly and Faramir watched in amazement as the tiny cuts healed themselves. Her fingers were once again flawless.

"I don't think I'll ever tire of seeing that," Faramir said quietly.

Cora smiled and squeezed his hands.

"Want to know what I will never tire of?" she asked quietly, staring at their hands.

"What will you never tire of?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"Holding hands with you," she said, blushing.

Faramir chuckled softly and pulled her into a warm embrace.

"Oh my beautiful Cora, you have no idea how much those words warm my heart," he said into her hair.

She giggled, his breath tickling her ear. Pulling away slightly, she gave him a quick kiss on the lips. Smiling impishly, she ran out of his arms.

"Catch me if you can!" she giggled, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

He laughed and followed after her. He chased her around the gardens until he cornered her in a small stone alcove.

"It appears I have cornered you, my lady," he said quietly, a devilish smile gracing his features.

She just returned his smile and silently apparated to a spot a couple feet behind him. Faramir blinked, taking in what had happened. She had apparated away from him, that sneaky witch! All the while, Cora noiselessly snuck up behind him.

"It appears that I have cornered _you_, my Captain," she teased.

Faramir quickly spun around and saw Cora staring at him. Approaching him, she laid a hand on his chest and gently pushed him against the wall. Leaning up on her tip-toes, she brought her mouth to his ear.

"How does that make you feel, Faramir?" she whispered.

Faramir let out a shuddered breath, staring at his witch wide-eyed. He didn't answer her question, instead deciding on bringing her body flush against his. He saw Cora's face blush at the contact. Moving one of his hands to her waist, his other wound itself into her hair. Her eyes flickered to his lips and that broke his resolve. He pulled her into a passionate kiss.

Cora roughly pulled away when she heard voices. She quickly placed a hand over Faramir's mouth and cast a disillusionment charm over them. The pair watched in silence as a couple walked past their little alcove. The woman appeared to be middle-aged while the young man beside her had to be her son. They looked far too similar to not be related. Cora didn't recognize them, but she wondered if Faramir did.

When she no longer could hear their voices, she removed her hand from Faramir's mouth and reversed the spell. Cora watched Faramir breathe out a sigh of relief.

"Who was that?" Cora whispered, still not ready to speak at normal tones.

"That was Lady Altessa and her son, Alban. Lady Altessa is notoriously known for being the biggest gossip among all of the nobility of Minas Tirith," he said with displeasure.

"I have never heard of her before," Cora said quietly.

"That definitely surprises me, but I am sure she has heard of you," Faramir said in the same displeased tone.

"I take it you have had unpleasant encounters with her?" she asked.

Faramir's nose scrunched up in distaste, "For years, Lady Altessa attempted to pair Boromir and I up with her daughters. She has obviously failed in that regard and because of this, she now goes out of her way to spread any rumors she hears about my brother and I."

Cora nodded before asking if it was alright if she apparated them back to her quarters. Faramir agreed and with a crack, they left the gardens.

"I figured this conversation would be more appropriate in private," she explained before she gracefully sat down in one of the arm chairs in front of the fireplace.

Faramir nodded before sitting in the chair opposite of her.

"So it is safe for me to believe that it would be devastating for the both of us if this Lady Altessa hears even the slightest whisper of our courtship?" she asked, folding her legs underneath her.

Faramir nodded grimly.

"We need to take more precautions. We don't want anymore close calls," she said quietly.

"I'm sorry it has to be this way," Faramir said quietly.

Cora shrugged, "I know it won't always be like this, so that gives me comfort."

Faramir nodded and the pair remained silent. Cora propped her elbow on the armrest of the chair.

"Why were you researching about Sauron?" Faramir asked suddenly, catching her off guard.

Resting her head in her hand, she stared at Faramir for a few seconds, mulling her answer over.

"War is coming, Faramir. I simply wanted to know what we're up against," she explained.

"How do you know that there is going to be war?" he asked her, eyeing her somewhat warily.

Cora snorted, "I've been in a war, Faramir. I think I know what it looks like when I come across it."

Faramir remained silent, clearly not satisfied with that response. Sighing, Cora continued.

"The current state of Osgiliath alone is a clear indication of the state of things. However, your father must be really desperate if he sends his beloved Boromir on a long and dangerous journey to Rivendell to have some dreams interpreted and supposedly bring back the Ring of Power," she stated, folding her arms across her chest.

Faramir flinched at her words. He hoped in vain that she wouldn't have been so observant to the current state of affairs for Gondor.

"There's no point in hiding things like this from me, Faramir. I'll find out one way or another."

"How'd you find out about the ring?" he asked.

"Two men of some importance were discussing it rather openly in one of the courtyards. I don't think they cared if I heard because they assumed a woman wouldn't know the implications of their discussion," she said rolling her eyes.

Faramir nodded before speaking.

"I wasn't aware that my father had spoken to others about it."

"He should be more careful about what he says to people. You never know who is listening. Constant vigilance!"

Faramir leaned back into the chair, a pensive look on his face. He was mulling something over, Cora could tell. She waited silently for him to speak.

"My father's rule is failing," he said quietly.

Cora softened at this, realizing how hard that must be for Faramir to admit. Getting out of her chair, she knelt down in front of him. Grasping his hands, she looked into his eyes. They were such a lovely shade of blue.

"I will not let this city fall into ruin, Faramir," she said quietly.

Faramir sighed but smiled slightly, "I know, Cora. You would keep everyone at home and do all the fighting yourself if that was possible."

Cora smiled sheepishly at him. Faramir chuckled and lifted her into his lap. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he nuzzled his nose against her neck. Letting out a content sigh, Cora played with his hair.

"Your hair is quite soft," she said quietly.

"It rarely is," he mumbled into her neck.

She nodded, knowing that when he was on patrols he didn't pay much attention to his hair or personal hygiene. He simply didn't have the time to, but now that he was in the city he did.

"Did you and Charlie ever have a relationship?" Faramir asked, pulling back to look at her.

Cora blinked, confused as to why he brought it up now.

"I saw you talking to him earlier and I just wondered," he said quietly.

Cora stared at Faramir. She knew that her friendship with Charlie was a sore spot with him. Probably because he didn't really know much about the red-head. She decided to be honest with him and tell him the truth.

"It was one drunken night years ago. It was understood that it would never be repeated," she stated simply.

He stared at her for awhile, realizing she was being completely honest.

"I knew something had happened between you two. Why didn't you tell me about it sooner?" he asked, sounding a little hurt.

"Because I didn't know how to bring it into conversation. 'Oh hey, Faramir. You know Charlie? I lost my virginity to him one drunken night ages ago.' That sounds horrible!" Cora said, blushing.

"Well, when you put it that way, your reasoning makes sense," he said.

"You didn't have a problem with my relationship with Oliver," she said.

"He's not here. If he decides to show up, I'll have a problem with him too," he stated plainly.

"You're the best kisser I've ever encountered," she blurted out.

Faramir looked at her oddly, "Was that supposed to make me feel better?"

"Yes. Why would I want them back when a deliciously handsome Captain of Gondor has stolen my heart like no other has?"

His face turned serious, "Do you mean that?"

"That you're deliciously handsome? Of course I do," she said distractedly.

"No, that I've stolen your heart like no one has before?" he asked quietly.

"I do," she said finally.

Faramir smiled broadly at her, "All the women of Gondor pale in comparison to you."

Cora blushed and Faramir couldn't stand it any longer. He kissed her and everything else became unimportant.

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><p><strong>A.N: Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Feedback is always appreciated! :)<strong>


	18. Chapter 18: Rivendell

__THE COUNCIL OF ELROND HAS ARRIVED. FINALLY. :)  
>Some lines are directly taken from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Extended Version and they are in italics.<br>ENJOY!

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><p><em>Rivendell<em>

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><p><em>October 9th<em>

James felt that things were finally being set into motion, he just knew it. In the wee hours of the morning, Glorfindel left Rivendell. James wasn't privy as to why he had left, but he was certain it had to do with the meeting. However, life for the young wizard continued on as it had before, with one major exception.

He could safely say that Bellethiel was one of his closest friends. They could talk to each other for longer than two minutes without anyone getting seriously injured. They had finally come to an understanding with one another, and James couldn't be any more happier.

If he had some humans to interact with, then the young wizard would be positively over the moon. The news his older sister sent him would only dampen his moods slightly. He internally struggled with the news over the course of a couple of days, until Lord Elrond demanded that he tell him whatever was bothering him one day during lessons.

"_It's the news my sister sent me, sir," he said quietly, fidgeting in his seat. _

"_Ah, and what did she say?" Lord Elrond asked, taking the seat opposite him. He folded his hands into his lap and waited patiently for the wizard to continue. _

"_She informed me of the existence of the Ring of Power and the return of the Dark Lord Sauron," he stated bluntly, hoping he wouldn't have to elaborate too much. _

_He figured that Lord Elrond would know about these things anyways. He was the most intelligent being he had ever come across. _

_Lord Elrond's eyebrows slowly lifted up, but nodded for James to continue. James sighed and raked his hand through his hair, unknowingly mussing it up. _

"_My sister has given me the task to prevent a Captain Boromir of Gondor from becoming too corrupted by this ring. Apparently he is on his way from Minas Tirith to seek your counsel on some dreams he and his younger brother have had, but I feel that you may have already known this," James said. _

_Lord Elrond elegantly shrugged, neither confirming nor denying the statement. _

"_The fact that I'll be fighting against another Dark Lord is a bit hard to digest, but long ago I made a promise that I would do whatever it would take to help make this world safe. I've grown quite fond of Middle Earth," he said, thinking of his first actual conversation with Bilbo and the vow he made to himself. _

"_So what is troubling you?" Elrond asked, trying to get the boy to open up more. _

"_I don't know if I can protect this Captain Boromir from himself. Cora said that the ring is corruptible, but how can I protect him if I don't even know if I can protect _myself_ from it?" the boy finally admitted, the doubts clear in his eyes. _

_Lord Elrond nodded, "I will not deny that the One Ring easily seduces men into madness, but I think that with your sister's warning you will be able to shake off its hold over you. You have encountered evil before James and you didn't let it consume you. Your sister has definitely put you in a difficult position considering Captain Boromir."_

_James snorted loudly and rolled his eyes. That was the understatement of the century. Lord Elrond lightly glared at the boy before continuing. _

"_But I am certain you shall find a way to help him," he said, finishing his thought. _

_James nodded, his sister telling him the same thing concerning Boromir. Another thought came to him. _

"_The ring. It's not here in Rivendell, is it?" James asked slowly, wondering if Elrond would even tell him this. _

_Lord Elrond's face was completely blank, no emotion whatsoever. _

"_No, it is not. _Not yet at least,"_ Elrond said, muttering the last part and James had to strain his ears to hear it. _

His talk with Lord Elrond didn't necessarily answer all of his concerns, but it relieved some of his doubts. He knew due to countless reminders that the Council Meeting would answer many of his questions. Now he was getting antsy, as he was absolutely sure that things were being set into motion.

_October 18th_

Rumors generally spread fast in Rivendell and today was no exception. The rumor today was that Mithrandir had arrived and for once James knew that this wasn't mere rumor but truth.

He had been walking with Lord Elrond and Orthorien when they were informed of his arrival. Generally not privy to such events, James found himself giddy in excitement when neither of the Elves dismissed him. So, he found himself walking behind the two of them as they quickly approached Lord Elrond's quarters.

Mithrandir was not what James had expected, but then again he didn't really think much about him in general. The elderly man looked worse for wear, as if he had been through hell and then some. His grey robes were extremely dirty and torn in some places. His long grey hair was so stringy and greasy that it would have put Professor Snape's hair to shame. His eyes were bloodshot and extremely puffy. There were light bruises around his eyes and James could tell that his nose was broken. The old man was leaning heavily against his staff and his breathing was labored.

Lord Elrond sent the messenger off to prepare Mithrandir's quarters as well as a hot meal be sent to Lord Elrond's quarters. After the messenger left the room, it looked like they were going to talk business.

"Before we begin, I was wondering if I could fix Mithrandir's nose. It looks broken and appears to be awfully painful," James looked to Lord Elrond, seeking his approval.

"As long as he gives you his permission," Lord Elrond stated blankly.

With a nod, James turned to Mithrandir and waited for him to reply. The old man watched the young wizard carefully before nodding slowly. James slowly removed his wand from its holster and aimed his wand at his nose.

"Now, this will hurt a little but it'll only last for a few moments depending on how long your nose has been broken. _Episkey,"_ James said.

With a louder crack than James had ever heard, Mithrandir's nose was magically set back in place. Mithrandir's face scrunched up at the pain, but his face quickly relaxed.

"Thank you, Mister Black," Mithrandir murmured.

"It is no problem, Gandalf," James replied back smoothly.

And with that, Lord Elrond and Orthorien delved right into conversation with Gandalf. James was having some trouble trying to keep up with all of the names and places they mentioned, since no one was bothering to fill him in.

The conversation was drawing to a close when Gandalf addressed James.

"The Black children all look quite similar. Do you take after your mother or father more?" the older wizard asked.

James blinked, wondering when he had seen his siblings, "Arlena and I both take after our father, but we have our mother's eyes. Cora looks more like our mother but has our father's eyes."

Gandalf nodded briefly before speaking again, "Yes, I have seen both of your sisters and they were both well when I saw them. Although I would say that Arlena's safety is a bit more questionable than yours or Cora's."

His eyes flashed in fear, "What do you mean?"

"The current policy of Edoras is not admitting any wizards into their city. I am assuming that Arlena is keeping her abilities a secret or only a select few are aware since she would have been kicked out by now."

James tensed up but slowly relaxed. Although he hated to admit it, he knew his twin could take care of herself. He was glad that he hadn't sent her any patronus messages. He would have to tell Cora about that as well. It wouldn't do to compromise her position.

"I'm sure James has plenty of questions to ask you, but he can ask them later. Mithrandir needs a bath and rest," Orthorien said.

James looked sheepish, knowing that he was talking directly to him.

"Of course," James said before standing up from his seat and departing from Lord Elrond's quarters.

_October 19th_

James sat with Mithrandir in what he secretly called the Great Hall of Rivendell. They were both leisurely eating breakfast. Beinion had postponed training until midday so James could take his time. The longer James spent time with Gandalf, the more he liked him. Gandalf vaguely looked like Dumbledore, but he didn't really give it much thought.

"I'm more powerful here," James said as he popped a grape into his mouth.

"As in your magical ability?"

James nodded.

"That doesn't surprise me. From what you've told me of your world, your tie with nature has diminished. That is not the case here," Gandalf stated.

James found himself agreeing to that, "From what little I've seen of Middle Earth, everything seems so magical."

Mithrandir just smiled at James and nodded.

_October 20th_

Frodo Baggins was in Rivendell and he looked absolutely terrible. James knew to stay out of the way for the moment so he volunteered when Elladan and Elrohir asked him if he wanted to help patrol with them.

A few hours into their patrol, the trio came across an interesting group. Three hobbits and a man. That didn't seem to bother the twins in the least as they smiled broadly at the group.

"Greetings, Estel!" Elrohir said happily in Elvish as he approached them. The twins continued trading pleasantries with the man in Elvish. James was thankful that he was now proficient in the language.

"This my dear friend, is Neurion," Elladan said to Estel.

James smiled at his Elvish name and greeted the man back. James then turned his attention to the three hobbits.

"Good afternoon, hobbits! My name is James. Welcome to Rivendell," he said happily.

"Hey, I was supposed to say that!" Elrohir said, glaring at James.

James stuck his tongue out at the elf, and gestured for everyone to follow him. Turning back, he smiled at the group. He was glad he wasn't the only human anymore.

_October 23rd_

The past couple of days, James noticed that Arwen and Bellethiel would spend more time at the training grounds. He assumed it was because of Estel, since they both knew him well. It also appeared that Beinion was even more thrilled to have Estel around. James found out that Estel was his previous pupil. He almost blurted out about how he looked so young, but then remembered that there were those that were blessed with a longer life.

James mentally gave himself a pat on the back for remembering to think before he spoke.

Soon after Estel and the hobbits arrived, various people from all over were showing up as well. There were now a pair of dwarves here and James found them fascinating even though his Elvish counterparts weren't all that thrilled about them.

The Prince of Mirkwood also had arrived and Beinion had eagerly allowed Legolas to take over James' training with the bow. James now found himself being trained by Legolas and Estel.

"If you would care to join us on the training grounds, Lord Black," Legolas said as he approached the young wizard.

James snorted, "Lord Black was my unpleasant grandfather. Please, call me James."

His father would be the current Lord Black, but due to him being in Azkaban for years the title was in limbo. Even though he had been pardoned and a free man for years now, the process of handing the title back was overwhelmingly complicated. Not that Sirius Black cared about such things anyways.

Legolas and Estel didn't work James to the bone like Beinion did and he was grateful for that. Although the conversation and laughter came easy, everyone was still worried about Frodo.

He still hadn't woken up yet and the hobbits kept close to his quarters.

He was in the middle of sparring with Estel when another of Cora's patroni stalked its way towards him. Estel, never seeing this before, was caught off guard and James used it to his advantage. It would be the only time he would ever best Estel in sparring.

"Excuse me, gentlemen. I have a message from my sister waiting for me," he said before leaving the training grounds with the tiger in tow.

_October 24th_

Many things happened all at once. First, Frodo woke up and some of the tension in the air disappeared but some still remained. If James didn't know any better, he thought there was a sense of evil in the air. He didn't like the feeling whatsoever.

A few hours later, he found Gandalf walking through the gardens with Lord Elrond, in deep discussion.

"I would suggest going to the Main Gates, Neurion," Lord Elrond said vaguely.

James paused in his stride and looked at him confused, but decided he would do as he said anyways. So, turning around from the pair, he went in the opposite direction towards the Main Gates.

When he finally reached the Main Gates, he found nothing interesting there. So he waited. And waited. It had to have been at least two hours of nothing happening when he was about to give up and give Lord Elrond a piece of his mind.

But then he saw some movement out of the corner of his eye and a bear of a man came into view. He had light brown hair and blue eyes. He didn't have a horse with him and he looked worse for wear. James slowly smiled.

"Greetings, Captain Boromir. We have been expecting you for quite some time," he said aloud.

Boromir stared at the young wizard for a while, wondering who he was. James realized this, and decided to elaborate more.

"My sister Cora has told me much about you," James then said, and he watched as the realization dawned upon him.

"James Black, forgive me. I forgot that you would be here," Boromir said sheepishly.

"There is nothing to forgive, my good man. You've had a long journey," James gestured for him to follow.

Boromir walked next to the wizard and smiled at him. He didn't have any complaints about the younger Black sibling. So far.

"Cora made me promise her that I would notify her when you arrived. She has been worried sick about you," James said staring at the man intently. He was waiting for his reaction.

Boromir snorted and rolled his eyes, "Sounds about right. She seems to forget that I'm a fully grown man capable of going on journeys by myself."

"I know, she also made me promise that I would look out for you as well," James said sheepishly.

Boromir stared at the young boy in shock, "You have to be joking."

James shook his head quickly, "This is Cora we are talking about. Would you ever want to say no to her?"

Boromir looked grave, "Not if I ever wanted to live. I've been at the receiving end of her spells."

James winced, "Do I even want to know what you did?"

Boromir shrugged, "I can always tells you later, if you'd like."

James smiled, "I'd like that. Knowing Cora, you probably deserved it."

Boromir had the decency to blush, "She showed me the error of my ways."

"She always does, I learned that at a young age. Do you want to speak with Lord Elrond immediately or would you like to be lead to your quarters to wash up first?" James asked.

"My quarters first, please. I-" Boromir stopped speaking when he took in his surroundings.

"It's magnificent, isn't it? I walked around with my mouth hung open in awe for the first three weeks I was here," James said quietly.

Boromir nodded his head in agreement and followed James to his temporary lodgings.

_October 25th_

James found himself sitting next to Gandalf during Lord Elrond's secret Council Meeting.

"_Strangers from distant lands, friends of old. You have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle-Earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate - this one doom," _Lord Elrond stated evenly.

James watched as Frodo brought forth the One Ring and placed it on the pedestal. Hushed tones filled the circle and James clutched his wand in anticipation. He didn't like it one bit. He'd been around dark objects before, but none of those had ever _whispered_ to him.

James watched Boromir suspiciously as he slowly got up from his seat. He began to explain the dreams he had as he got closer and closer to the ring. James knew he had to stop him from getting any closer. Should he use a knockback jinx or just use a full-body bind curse? Quickly whipping out his wand, James aimed it towards Boromir.

"Petrificus Totalus," James muttered and he watched as Boromir froze up completely. His hand was a good two feet away from the ring.

"And you wonder why Cora asked me to watch over you," James mumbled quietly.

"James Black!" Elrond yelled as he shot up from his seat.

Then everything went nuts. Gandalf began chanting words that James couldn't decipher and he wasn't sure if he wanted to. Thunder rumbled above them in the sky and it darkened quickly. James had never seen the weather turn so fast before in his life.

Gandalf's chanting ended and the weather returned back to normal. James decided to reverse his spell on Boromir and watched as the man from Gondor staggered back to his seat.

"I will not allow you to cast any spells on any of the Council Members, James Black!" Lord Elrond yelled.

"What was I supposed to do? Let him _touch_ the bloody thing?" James protested, but all he got was a withering glare and he quieted.

"And _never before has any voice uttered the words of that tongue here in Imaldris!" _Elrond glared at the elder wizard.

"_I do not ask for your pardon, Master Elrond, for the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the West! The ring is altogether evil!" _Gandalf uttered.

Boromir stood up again, _"It is a gift! A gift to the foes of Mordor! Why not use this Ring? Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor kept the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of our people, you're lands are kept safe. Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy, let us use it against him."_

James stared blatantly at Lord Elrond in disbelief. Estel decided to speak up and James was glad that he didn't have to get involved again. James spent the rest of the discussion in silence until Frodo Baggins claimed that he would take the Ring to Mordor.

James stood in awe amongst his new companions as Elrond called them the Fellowship of the Ring.

* * *

><p>A.N: Feedback as always is greatly appreciated! :)<p> 


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